Between Walkers, Brothers and Guns
by KittentheCat
Summary: Daryl Dixon meet Aurora Walsh; survivor of the zombie apocalypse, bad ass gun slinger and Shane Walsh's little sister. Can a relationship bloom between zombies, brothers and guns? DarylXOC Under Edit!
1. Chapter 1

When the infection broke and the dead rose, Aurora Walsh was oblivious. She had been walking along the side of the road scuffing her boot against the edge of the pavement and playing with the pages of the folder she held in her thin arms from her meeting with her Agent on the chapters of her latest book. She hadn't expected her brothers police car to skid to halt beside her, then again the young woman hadn't expected flesh hungry dead to be the cause of Shane's alarm on the day they fled.

"Shane?" She had asked confused, he was supposed to be visiting Rick today, the man who had helped her escape and abusive household and refereed her fights with Shane.  
"Why are you walking? Out here, in the open?" He scolded as he leaned over and pushed the passenger door open for her.  
"Well," She started as she walked around the side of the car and slid into the seat, "Everyone's getting ill and I didn't want to catch it by taking the bus, the nurses got real tetchy about it last time I went to see Rick."  
Shane nodded, more to himself then anything, and slammed his foot down as soon as Aurora had shut her door.  
"Shane? What the hell? What's going on?" She snapped, instantly clinging to the sides of her seat, her folder falling into the  
"We've got to leave Rora, their back," he snapped, eyes fixed on the road.

It was then that for the first time since getting in the car with her hysterical brother, that Aurora noticed the terrified families throwing their belongings into the backs of their cars along both sides of the streets.  
"Who's back Shane?" She whispered, already scared and not entirely sure if she wanted to know what could have caused this reaction from everyone, "Is there a bomb warning?"  
"The people, the d-dead ones," Shane grumbled, holding tighter to the steering wheel.

Aurora let out a bitter laugh which her brother ignored, "The dead?" she laughed, "We're not children, I thought you would have grown out this by now."  
"Look, believe me or not now but you'll see soon enough." Shane snapped, "I've packed our things, we're getting Lori and Carl and we're getting the fuck outta here."  
"Lori?" Aurora asked, sitting up in her seat, "Lori Grimes? Is Rick meeting us there? Is the hospital sending him?" she asked anxiously not liking the way her brother's jaw tightened or the obvious effort it was to stop his lip from quivering.

"The hospital was closed by soldiers, they went in, gunned everyone down, infected or not." He spat angrily, pressing down harder on the gas pedal.  
"They gunned ..? What?" Aurora whimpered, not being able to or wanting to comprehend what her brother had told her, "How come you're okay? You went to get Rick didn't you?" she asked quietly.

"I jumped under his bed, they didn't see me," he grumbled, he swerved trying not to hit a hysterical woman who was crying in the road, "The power overloaded or just went off I don't now but - but his machines.." he paused and Aurora covered her mouth to hold back her sobs, Shane grunted and straightened in his chair slightly, "they went off, he's dead..I made sure they couldn't get to him though, he was too good for grave food. Now the last thing I'm gonna do for him is get his family out safe."

The words she aimed for came out as a wheeze of pathetic breath, "Shane this isn't funny. You're scaring me, take me home or take me to the hospital now!"  
"This isn't a fucking joke Rora." He snarled as they pulled into The Grimes' driveway, "Look we've got to stay together now and look after Lori and Carl, that's what Rick would have wanted right?" He placed a crooked finger under her cheek to make her look at him, tears raced down her cheeks so silently that she herself was unaware of their presence until they dripped off of her chin and down onto her hand in her lap. She nodded. He didn't try to smile, "Atta girl, now Carl's gonna need you sweetheart, you know you're his favourite."

/

"Aunt Aurora?"  
With a groan, Aurora opened her eyes to see her god-sons face hanging over her own.  
"What is it Carl?" she sighed rubbing her eyes.  
"I want to go play at the lake with Sophia but mum says I need someone to go with." He told her sweetly and Aurora rested her forearm over her closed eyes.  
"So you're mum suggested me, huh?"

Carl didn't reply verbally so Aurora assumed he was nodding, "Remind me to slap your mum." She mumbled under her breath before pushing herself onto her side before crawling out of her tent, standing and stretching.  
"Aurora? What are you doing up?" Jim asked as he watched the young brunette woman crawl out the tent, "You only finished watch," Jim paused to look over at the ever present Dale who glanced at his trusty watch.

"Two hours ago." Dale said.

"Well, Lori decided I should take the kids down to the lake so I had a pint-size alarm clock." she said bitterly but smiled at the end of her utterance, gently pushing Carl's head so he'd go fetch the rest of the children.  
"Make sure you stay where I can see you," Dale told her, "That why if you have a sneaky nap you don't have to worry about anything." he smiled at her and Aurora gave him back a small, tired smile.  
"Make sure ta be careful," Jim said as she turned to walk away, "the Dixon brothers were squirrel hunting round there last time I checked. Merle looked er – well you know Merle."

Aurora yawned into the back of her hand and waved at Jim with the other as she walked off, calling over her shoulder as thanks for the head up.  
On her way down to the lake, Aurora, ever the observant, noticed her brother sneaking off into the woods, she glared at her brothers back, he was an idiot if he didn't think that she knew what he was doing, that he was fucking his dead best friend's wife. The urge to follow him and kick some morality into his backside was cut short by five children running into her. Looking down at the group Aurora smiled, the world might have ended but they were still excited. She made a mental checklist of everyone she had with her; Carl, Sophia and Morales three children.  
The children splashed and chased each other in the water while Aurora sat beside watching them enjoy themselves and eventually her heavy eyelids won as she lay down and started to drift to sleep.

Aurora's eyes snapped open at the sound of shuffling behind her. Bolting upright, she whipped her pistol from her waistband, spun her upper body and aimed the gun at the offenders.

There, bold and cocky as ever, were the Dixon brothers. Daryl stood, scowling, with his cross bow resting on his shoulder and a bunch of dead squirrels hanging from his hip. His older brother, Merle, stood next to him, his eyes a blazing red.  
"Ya' know how to use that girly?" Merle asked, not fazed at the gun being pointed at him even when she took the safety off.

"Wanna see?" Aurora smirked, her long brunette hair pulled back in a messy bun, but some rebellious strands rested around her shoulders, her blue eyes flashed dangerously with false confidence.  
"Thought your fuck-wit officer brotha' said no shootin' human's, even the infected." Merle resorted confidently.

Aurora smiled, since smirking didn't suit her and she couldn't commit to having this strength, "He isn't here to see me is he?"  
Merle's chest rumbled with laughter as he stepped forward until he flopped down beside her on the floor, Daryl joined on her other side.  
"I can't scare you two can I?" Aurora smirked as she put the safety back on and tucked the gun back away.

"We dun't get scared." Daryl grumbled and Aurora nodded before lying back down and resting her head on her folded arms, she closed her eyes again.  
"Watch the kids for me bone-heads, I'm gonna have a nap." she smiled.

Both men shook their heads and laid their weapons next to them, Merle waved his hands in front of his gun a few times watching through high eyes as it danced in the air. Having met the brothers on her first night at the survivors camp, Aurora had instantly warmed up to the hicks, much to her brothers dismay who didn't want his baby sister associating with such individuals, end of the world or not.  
The friendship of sorts had also surprised the rest of the survivors who had only seen the volatile nature of the brothers but now they saw the red-necks teasing, annoying and laughing with, but mostly at, the young woman. At first Shane was outraged, especially since the only humour Merle seemed to express was sexual or racist but when he saw his little sister punching Merle's arm and laughing he had decided to let the friendship stand until he had enough time to break it.

"What the hell?" Lori's screechy voice disturbed Aurora's surprisingly peaceful slumber. With a groan the brunette opened one squinting eye to see Lori standing over her, shading her from the blazing sun.

"What do you want now?" Aurora snapped angrily.  
"You're supposed to be looking after the kids and instead you're sleeping? What were you thinking leaving them with these hicks?" Lori screamed.

The Dixons were unfazed, not really fussed about the woman's opinions.  
Aurora shot to her feet, her agility taking the newly formed crowd of survivors by surprise, and pushed herself into Lori's personal space, "I'm supposed to be sleeping after staying up all fucking night to watch." she snapped.

"Not my problem!" Lori snapped, "You were told to do a job, you should do it."  
"Just because _you _ told me too?" Aurora questioned and Dale, ever the peace maker stepped forward, "I could see them the whole time Lori, there was no danger."

"No danger?" Lori shrieked, "What if they had drowned, you couldn't get to them in time." Lori glared at Dale.  
"Good job we were here then ay?" Daryl spoke up but made no move to stand or face the seething woman.  
"See?" Jacqui started slowly, trying to calm the situation, "They had Merle and Daryl with them."

"That makes me feel loads better!" Lori shouted before stomping off, dragging Carl along back to the tent.

"Mum?" Sophia whispered to Carol after the group went quiet, "Did I get Aurora in trouble?"  
"No sweetie," Carol smiled at her daughter, "Lori was just worried is all, thought you might have been in trouble."

"Aurora there was no need for that." Shane scolded his sister.  
"I did nothing!" the Aurora snapped as she folded her arms and, not for the first time since she'd lost Rick, wished that her friend was here to back her up.  
"That's the point, you should have been watching the kids and you weren't." Shane said, placing his hands on his hips in annoyance.

Her hand desperately twitching to punch something though she knew that she wouldn't, Aurora sighed and mumbled, "I'm gonna go survey the area."

Sending a small reassuring smile to the rest of the group, which Dale and Amy beamed back, the young brunette strode off.

/

"Ya' calmed down any yet?" a gruff voice from below her made Aurora glance down from her position on a tree branch to see the youngest of the Dixons.  
"Not angry." She resorted from high position.'  
Daryl snorted and relaxed against the tree Aurora had taken refuge in, "Ya' a bad liar."  
"Gonna have my brother arrest me?" She snapped.

"Nah but if I have to, I'll punish ya myself." he smirked, with a confidence that came from the blush that rose in Aurora's cheeks whenever he got too close to her and it had become some of the only entertainment available to him to try and get her hot under the collar. Though he had to admit to himself that he was incredibly bad at his own game; having had no real experience of sexual tension that involved no alcohol. He gave her a coy smirk until he felt something small and hard bounce off his head.

Scowling, Daryl picked up the offending conker and glared up at the woman who tried to hide her wide smile behind her hand.

Daryl smirked at her, getting her to genuinely smile was one of the only things he could do that most of the camp could not and maybe he took such pride in it because he knew if the world hadn't been overrun by flesh-munchers they'd have never met and even if they had they were two different classes. He was a rough boy who had ditched school at the earliest chance, not that it meant he was stupid, he just didn't rely on someone else telling him he was intelligent just because they had some fancy bits of paper hung on their wall; while Aurora was a beautiful creative young woman, who wrote for a living and ran in an intellectual circles of friends.

"Think ye clever?" Daryl glared.

"Very." she smiled again before dropping another conker on his head.

"Right, thats it!" He snapped, slipping his crossbow over his shoulder, the lean man reached up and started to climb into the tree, all the while being pelted with conkers by the giggling woman. He smirked, it didn't hurt or bother him because he knew that she needed to get some stress out or she'd probably blow Lori's brains out, not that the thought bothered Daryl but he suspected at some point Aurora may regret it...maybe. He smirked to himself, when he got up there there'd be hell to pay.


	2. Chapter 2

Aurora squealed lightly as Daryl reached her in the tree. There was enough platform-like space in the to ensure they could both stay up their without the threat of falling down on their ass, unless their on-coming play fight got too out of hand.

Diving forward, as much as was possible in the small space, Daryl attempted to grab hold of the woman who leaned back against one of the larger branches and continued to attack Daryl close range with her handful of conkers. One bounced of his forehead just before the hunter managed to hold the squirming woman encased in his arms as she tried to escape to gather more of nature's ammunition.

"Not so clever now are ya?" he sniggered.  
Aurora tried to push him off of her by pushing her head back against his shoulder and arch her back but his strong arms kept her body from moving and she simply ended with his front pressed against her back and her mouth against his ear.

"Let me go." she demanded, a smile in her voice as she tried to stop herself from laughing, "You smell so bad."  
"Yeah because you smell like roses." He snickered. Smirking, Aurora blew into Daryl's ear making him snap his head away from her and shudder. She supressed her giggle, she could laugh when she was victorious and free.

"Gonna need more than that sweet cheeks." he laughed as he seemed to get over Aurora's first attack.  
"Ohh really?" she smiled against the side of his neck when she felt him nod.  
With a wicked grin Aurora leaned her head forward, opened her mouth and nipped his neck with her teeth. "Gaaarh~" He gasped, his grip slipping for a moment before he held onto her tighter, trying not to gasp at the unexpected pleasure of the girl nipping at his neck and willed himself not to like it too much or Aurora may being to feel his excitement pressing against her back.

Pulling away from the abused area, the woman pouted, "What the hell? I was sure that would work." she mumbled making Daryl smirk at her childish nature.  
"I'm made a tough stuff girly," he smirked and lifted her off the ground slightly to prove he still had her trapped. Aurora, who had already admitted she was enjoying herself away from survival and the walkers, glared at the small angry red marks she had left on the side of his neck.  
"Well, I guess I'll just have to wait until you let go, even if it means I fall asleep," She smirked and relaxed her knees making her slump in Daryl's hold and he stumbled to keep hold of her.

"Urgh, don't make ya self heavy." He groaned and leaned down under her as a dead weight, though weight had already started to fall from her frame since they'd entered the camp.  
"You calling me fat?" She laughed in his ear.

"Fat? You wouldn't feed a walker for an hour but it doesn't mean you're not heavy." He squeezed his arms and supressed the light feelings in his stomach, always ready to spring from the tree and back to defend the camp.  
"Maybe you're not as strong as you think you are." she purred against his ear achieving the desired effect of him gulping and his arms lacking slightly. With a laugh Aurora launched herself forward and out of the hunters grasp and stumbled over the edge of the tree.  
The woman squealed as she was pulled back by her waistband and fell onto her backside in the tree next to Dixon, who called her an idiot and climbed out of the tree. Daryl waited for the writer to climb down out of the tree, occasionally sneaking appreciative glances at her rear. Smiling, Aurora dodged past the lean man, "Come on, it's gotta be close to dinner now."

"What, my neck not enough for you?" he shot at her as they pushed through the bushes towards the promise of dinner.  
"Nope," she laughed, "Sorry hick, you just don't fill my needs."

They were on the edge of camp now, approaching Glenn, T-Dog, Shane and Dale. Darting forward, Daryl reached out and grabbed Aurora's hand, pulling her around to face him with a confused face.  
"Want me to help you change your mind on that?" he asked her their faces a few inches apart.

Aurora could feel the gazes of the survivors close to them, wondering if this was a violent confrontation. Daryl kept hold of one of her wrists in one hand and dangled the crossbow in the other, he could feel Shane's hateful glare burning into him.  
"I don't think you could." she smirked before pulling away from him and striding over to where Carol and Jacqui were helping Merle skin and cook the Squirrels that had been caught earlier. Daryl watched her walk off, more specifically her rear, which to Daryl looked fantastic in her tight jeans.  
"Hey!" Shane's deep accusing voice rang out making Daryl turn to see the ex-officer marching towards him.  
"Yeah?" The hunter sighed.  
"What was that about?" Shane asked, hands on hips.  
"What was what?" Daryl asked back, trying to annoy the cop.  
"What was that with my sister you little fuck?" Shane snapped.  
Daryl was about to resort, raising his bow slightly until Glenn, bravely, stood between them, "Err guys, I think Macy and Dean need help with their tent."

With a huff, Shane stormed off to help the couple who seemed a minute away from having an argument in the middle of camp.

"Err everything okay?" Glenn asked, nervously playing with his cap.  
"Fine chink." Daryl huffed storming past T-Dog and Dale who gave him a strange look.

"What was that about?" Jacqui smiled when Aurora sat with them.  
"What was what about?" Aurora asked, finding herself slightly transfixed as she watched, a surprisingly sober and calm, Merle show Carol how to skin a squirrel, which wasn't as fun as Merle had made it sound by the pale colour that Carol's cheeks were going.

"I think you know," Jacqui smiled, "You and Daryl come back from being in the woods _alone_, he stops you to talk and then your brother goes to have a word with him."  
"Did he?" Aurora asked turning her head to see Daryl getting into his and his brothers tent while Shane helped Macy with her tent, his face set in an angry scowl.

Aurora shrugged.

"So what'd you and my brother do out there?" Merle asked, making Jacqui smile at the faint blush on Aurora's usually pale features.  
"We had a fight of sorts." Aurora laughed.  
"A fight?" Merle said raising an eyebrow but never removing his eyes from his skinning task, "He may be a fuck-wit but he wouldn't fight a girl 'less she was tryin' ta' eat 'im."  
"Well its funny you should say that." Aurora laughed as stood up and turned to see T-Dog and Glenn playing with the radio and went to help them.

Merle watched the girl walk off and glanced over at his tent as his brother emerged and watched the young woman helping her friends, the redneck smirked to himself, if his brother went after her, she'd eat him alive that was if Shane didn't kill him first.

/

The group gathered around the fire to eat the lovingly prepared meal. They chattered amongst themselves around the fire as they ate laughing and smiling until Shane who was sat next to Aurora and Lori asked loudly, "So Rora, how was surveying the area?"  
Aurora popped some squirrel meat into her mouth and chewed before smiling at him, "Fine, would have preferred to not be screeched at beforehand." Some members of the camp, including the Dixons, snickered while Shane and Lori simply pulled a distasteful face.

After eating, the group settled to lounge around and chat, Aurora glanced over at the youngest Dixon who was sat across the fire from her, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. Merle and Dale discretely watched as the bright eyed woman smiled evilly and dug around in her pocket before pulling out a small round object and quickly threw it at Daryl. It bounced off of his forehead and rolled close to the fire. Daryl glared over the fire at Aurora who looked and leaned away innocent, the glow from the fire highlighting her bright blue eyes and danced in her long, now let down, curls.  
The fire highlighting her pale skin as she smiled slightly, knowing the man was probably glaring at her. Leaning down, his long muscular arm looking impressive in the firelight, the hunter picked up the offending conker off the floor and glared at it.

"Oh gosh!" Amy gasped staring at Daryl. Everyone turned to her, eyes wide and hands on weapons.  
"What is it?" Shane asked jumping to his feet, shotgun in hand, his eyes desperately scanning for walkers, Daryl glared at Amy wondering why she was staring at him. "Errm.." Amy mumbled.

"Spit it out!" Merle snapped, he himself stood up with his gun, itching for some walkers to shoot."Just your neck, I thought - I thought you'd been attacked.."Amy whimpered slightly under the gaze of the whole camp.  
Shane stomped over to Daryl, "Show me."  
Merle cringed into laugher as Daryl turned his head so Shane could see his neck, "This what you meant by eatin' 'im?" the oldest Dixon laughed loudly, "did ya' suck on him anywhere else?"  
Aurora coughed awkwardly and looked away from everyone's questioning gazes and trying to avoid her brothers seething gaze.  
"What the fuck?" Shane snapped and Daryl glared at the officer.  
Shane glared at everyone before turning around, "I think it's time we get some sleep," he bit out, "I'll take first watch."

With that everyone dispersed going to their tents, as Daryl trudged behind his brother grumbling angrily about taking orders from a stupid pig he saw Aurora about to walk past him and slowed to smirk at her as they walked past each other.

/

The camp came to life slowly the next morning. "Morning," Aurora smiled to Andrea and Amy as she approached the blonde sisters. The girls looked up from the buckets of berries they had collected and smiled at her.

"Surprised you didn't come out of the Dixon tent." Amy smirked, pulling her hair behind one of her ears. Aurora sighed and put her foot on one of the logs they used to sit around the fire and leaned down to tie her boot, "The world ended but gossip remains." she sighed.  
"What do you expect?" Carol's voice came from behind them, Aurora glanced back over her shoulder to see Carol and Jacqui, both women carrying buckets of water, Carol continued, "You and Dixon come back from being alone and he comes back with little love bites." she wiggled her eyebrows.

Aurora smiled enjoying seeing Carol happy and away from her abusive husband."Soo.." Jacqui encouraged, "What happened between you too?"  
"Like I said yesterday," Aurora smiled at the four women interrogating her, "We just had a bit of fight is all."  
"A fight?" Andrea asked raising an intrigued eyebrow.  
"Well I attacked him with the power of nature and he restrained me." she laughed, blushing as she started to tighten the laces on her other boot. Carol smiled no doubt about to insinuate something that would make Aurora's face blush harder but was interrupted by Ed stomping over, frown in place, ready to rain on everyone's parade.  
"Don't seem to be much movement here," he grumbled and Carol shrank back slightly.  
"You heard him girls," Aurora smiled, "The caveman has spoken." she smirked before striding past the glaring man towards Dale and Jim. Dale looked down from his position on the RV and waved at Aurora, while Jim smiled at her as he stood leant back againts the RV.

"Hey Dale, hey Jim," she smiled, "What'd you need me to do today?"  
"You, T-Dog, me and Glenn have a job to do today," Shane's deep voice rumbled from behind her. Aurora spun around to face her brother, his hands rested firmly on his hips as usual.  
"Why? Whats happened?" She snapped, instantly worried about the safety of their group. Glenn and T-dog sauntered up behind Shane, both nodding in greeting at the young woman. Shane raised one arm slightly in Glenn's direction, "Glenn heard sounds coming from the woods, deep in the woods but we still need to know what we're dealing with."  
Aurora nodded, "I'll fetch my axe, we need silent weapons or we'll attract walkers." All the men nodded in agreement before Jim spoke up, "Maybe you should ask Daryl to go too," Jim paused for a moment under the hateful glare of Shane, "his crossbow is effective and silent."  
"He has a point." Dale agreed and Aurora nodded, gazing Shane's glare to glance over them too.

"I'd rather him not come," Glenn said nervously, "But we may need him and his bow." and T-Dog nodded in agreement. "Fine," Shane snapped and the group dispersed to go fetch their weapons and arranged to meet back in ten minutes. Aurora walked over to the Dixon tent, swinging her axe at her side, to see Merle sat outside the tent on a rock, cleaning his gun with a rag.

"Hey handsome," she laughed as she got close. Merle looked up scowling but smirked when he saw the young brunette, "Wha' cha' wanting?" he asked.  
"Your brother around?" she smiled.

Merle raised an eyebrow and titled his head slightly, "Why? Wanna suck 'im again?" he smirked.

Aurora coughed and tried to ignore the heat she could feel spreading across her cheeks which made Merle rumble with laughter before motioning behind him with his thumb to the tent. Shaking her head and leaving her axe against the tent outside, Aurora entered the tent to see Daryl sat on the floor wiping his bows. He glanced up her, rubbed his stubble slightly and stood.

"Come to throw more bits a tree at me?" he smirked.

"Nawwh, did I hurt your feelings?" she smiled at him. He shook his head slightly before stepped up stand in her personal space. Aurora was an inch or so shorter then him so she had to glance up to look at a bitter laugh, Daryl smirked, "Nah, but ya' had a good go at my neck."

Aurora smiled up at him, "You deserved it."  
"Oh really, if I remember rightly, you were attacking me." he smirked and he got even closer to her.  
"Well you couldn't keep from holding on to me could you." she smirked, not backing down.  
"You know, you got a suck on my neck, what do I get?" he smirked, they were inches apart now and Aurora could feel his breath on her face.

"Well, what do you want?" she smirked, her bright eyes glinting evilly.  
"You got a taste ah me, I should get a taste a you." he smirked.  
"Oh, is that so?" she smiled, liking where this was going.

"Yeah it is." he purred, putting his hands on her hips and pulling them together so that their bodies touched.

Her hands found his strong upper-arms and with a smile Aurora leaned up and gently pressed her lips to his, "That enough of a taste?"

Daryl shook his head before pulling her to him by her hips and pushing his lips roughly against her own, smiling inwardly when he heard her almost silent moan when he pushed his tongue into her mouth and massaged her own. The pair stood kissing for a while until the unfortunate need for air broke them apart.

He smirked at her, "Now we're even...So what'd ya need me for?"


	3. Chapter 3

The wood was still and silent save for the roots and debris of nature crunching beneath the feet of the five tense survivors.

Shane led the group deeper into the wood with Glenn just behind him, whispering directions to where he had heard the noises. Aurora stayed close behind Glenn, her axe ready in hand. Daryl followed behind the woman watching her back, and backside, his crossbow itching to kill some walker scum. T-dog brought up the rear, hating his position at the back of the group but not moving forward for fear of Daryl shooting him with an arrow if T-Dog blocked his view of Aurora's backside. Shane raised his hand at the front and everyone stopped silently, eyes darting around for danger. The sound of rustling and shuffling blew in the wind around them and they knew that whatever Glenn had heard earlier was just ahead of them. Shane raised his shot gun and stepped forwards to the thick bushes that separated the survivors from the noise, Glenn gulped silently.

All of the survivors raised their weapons as Shane separated the bushes slowly. Aurora gasped and Glenn jumped, through the small whole that Shane had made in the bushes was an eye. Daryl steadied his crossbow at Aurora's gasp though he himself couldn't see the offending object. The eye blinked and moved away from the whole. Shane ripped away the bush to meet a shotgun.

The group stared at the man in front of them, obviously not a zombie, though he was pale and had died blood over his stubble, with a shot gun pointed at Shane's head. Aurora glared at the man with gun until she heard two another guns cocking. Glenn gulped, they were surrounded by men with guns. Shane had a shotgun aimed at his face, Aurora at the side of her head, and T-Dog at the back of his head. Daryl spun his weapon, aiming at the man who had a gun to Aurora's head.

"What are you doing here?" The man aiming at Shane snapped.  
"Sounds were heard down here so we can to investigate -" Shane started, hands raised.  
"No, you came to loot." The man interrupted, steadying his weapon.  
"No," Shane argued calmly, "We wanted to make sure that our group was going to be safe, we thought there was going to be walkers."

"How can we trust you?" The man with a gun to Aurora's head asked. He was tall, long black hair tied back, his bright green eyes washed over Aurora's figure appreciatively, obviously having not seen a, living, woman for a long time. Daryl growled at him.  
"Because we have enough supplies, we don't want to hurt anyone, just protect our camp." Shane told them, still surprising calm, but that probably had something to do with the gun to his head.

The man at the front put down his shotgun and nodded for the other men to do the same.  
"Sorry, just can't trust anyone this days." He grunted, "I'm Jason, thats Simon," he pointed to the man next to Aurora, "And that's Michael." he pointed to the red-headed man behind T-Dog.

/

Soon everyone was back at camp, including the three new additions, though Daryl had practically marched Aurora back first to keep her away from the lustful gazes of the three men, not that he'd ever admit that. It had worked until later, when the sun was just starting to make its descent that his realised he couldn't stop them without poking their eyes out and had to resist the urge, several times, to fetch his pick axe. What claim did he have to her? He grimaced, _claim_, she'd be super pissed if she ever heard that.

"Why don't you go wash in the lake?" Carol suggested to Simon and Jason after they had finished eating a small meal, the pair had nodded and walked down to the lake.

A few minutes later, Jacqui had come back to the fire and dumped some old towels into Aurora's lap, "Will you take these down to the lake?" she smiled.

With a sigh Aurora stood, picked up the bundle and made her way down to the lake, trying to ignore the gazes of both her brother and Daryl that were burning into her back as she went. Daryl glared into the fire, he didn't trust these guys, his opinion had been ignored when voiced but he knew he was right.

/

The moon kissed the water's surface and implicated the quarry, the glow extended to Simon, the pale skin of his chest looking bright white in the night. He knelt next to the water, shirtless, washing his face with his hands. Jason stood not far behind him, shrugging his jacket off his shoulders, he glanced up, and seeing the young woman from earlier walking towards them in her tight jeans and loose t-shirt, Jason nudged Simon with his foot and nodded towards Aurora.  
"Hey beautiful," Jason purred as she neared them. Aurora rolled her eyes at the unwanted attention, right now she just wanted to sleep, and her muscles ached from the cold of the previous night.

"I brought you towels," she said as she neared them, Simon stood and walked somewhere behind her but Aurora paid no attention to him as she pushed the towels at Jason's chest. Jason caught them and smiled as he threw them near his jacket. Aurora raised her eyebrow but said nothing.

"Why don't you stay with us for a while?" he purred and took a step towards us.  
"No thanks." she took her own step back.  
"But we insist," he smiled as she stepped back and bumped into Simons chest, Aurora slapped herself mentally, she should have paid more attention to where both of them had been.

"Well, its a lovely offer but I have to decline," she smiled taking a sideways step. Simon went to grab her hips from behind but her side step took her out his path.

Taking two quick steps backwards, Aurora was reliefed that at least now she had both of her attackers facing her. Calling on every ouce of monotonous self-defense training that her brother and Rick had put her through, Aurora watched their moves ready for a fight. Jason was the first to pounce at her, trying to grab her arm. Aurora pulled her opposite amr back and swung around, her fist catching the side of his face, his jaw moved awkardly as he stumbled sideways away from her. Simon rushed at her from behind and wrapped his muscualr arms aorund her, much like Daryl had done the day before, but before he could get a solid grip, Aurora snapped her elbow back into his stomach, he gasped in pain as leaned onto her. She spun around, still in his loose grip and thrust the palm of her hand up, hitting his chin and sending him backwards.

Her heartbeat echoed in her ears as adreniline pumped around her veins. Aurora gasped in pain as her head was wrenched back by her hair and she felt Jason's arm wrap around her neck while his other hand gave her hair another sharp here you little slut," he spat against her ear as she struggled against his grip, "Your big brother's uniform don't meant note no

more," he pulled tighter on her back making her gasp, "The dead rule the way now, so little whores like you best do as you're told."  
Aurora struggled against his grip, her hands coming up and pulling at his arm in an attempt to get free but to no avail.  
In the glint of the moonlight Aurora saw Simon rise to a stand, his lips twisted in a sick grin as he stepped towards her and grabbed her kicking legs with strong hands. Forcing her legs apart he pressed himself against her and held her up by her legs so she was suspected between them.

She wiggled and squirmed trying desperatly to get free and wishing she had the sense to scream earlier and call for help.

"We'll be gentle, promise." Simon smirked asAurora struggled against them once more as Jason pulled her head so she had to stay still as Simon pushed his mouth onto hers roughly while undoing her belt buckle.

/(With Daryl)/

Daryl glared into the orange flames, Aurora had been gone for a while now. He glared over at the last newcomer sat at the fire, the redheaded one but Daryl couldnt remember his name, something was fishy about these guys, Shane must have seen it too because he fidgeted uncomfortably and Rose to stand.  
"Still down Shane," Dale smiled, "She's probably just talking to her new friends."  
Shane looked unconvinced.  
"I'd rather just check." he grumbled, his hands finding his hips again.  
"Oi chink," Merle snapped, and everyone but Daryl glared at him as Glenn sighed and turned to the muscular redneck, "Lean over and check on the neck sucker."

Glenn glared at him from under the safety of his cap before standing up and walking to the edge of the ledge to look down at the lake and the space around it.  
Glenn gasped before stuttering a shout, "H-hey! Get off her!"  
Simultaneously, Shane, Daryl, Merle, T-Dog and Jim jumped to their feet, each grabbed their respective weapons from beside them.  
"Don't move," Came the calm voice from the other side of the fire, everyone turned to see a scared Carl Grimes with a gun to his head by Michael.  
"You disturb my friends and I'll blow his head off, you try and shoot me and you'll attract the walkers." Michael spoke calmly, "The best situation for us all is you let my friends by on with that their doing, they won't kill her their gentlemen and you men start on loading whatever food supplies you have into a truck for me and my friends to leave in."

Everyone started at the man holding Carl hostage, all feeling sick that they knew he was right.  
"You're right," Shane said, raising his hand to stop the arguments from camp, "we can't kill you noisily."  
Shane raised his eyebrow and titled his head slightly toward Daryl, the rest of the camp cover their, or their children's, eyes and the man barely had time to raise his own eyebrow before one of Daryl's bows found it's way through the back of his head.  
He fell back onto the floor lifeless as the men ran down the the lake to help Aurora.

Aurora closed her eyes tight when she felt Simon tugging at her jeans, she was still suspended between them when she felt Simon jump off her and heard a sickening crack and yelp if pain. The hold on her neck grew tighter for a moment before releasing her completely as she fell painfully to the ground.

She moaned in pain when she opened her eyes to see Glenn hovering next to her, touching her face gently to see if she was conscious. Turning her head to the side, Aurora couldn't suppress her grin at seeing Simon, pinned under Daryl, his bloodily face being repeatedly smashed by the hunters equally bloodied hands. And just behind them, Shane doing the same with Jason.  
She smiled slightly as Merle lifted her up feeling safe again


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone! Just wanted to say thankyou everyone for my reviews and I'm glad this fic is going down well :) Will probably start replying to reviews at the end of chapters now.**

After Merle had carried her back to the camp fire, Aurora sat trying to ignore the pampering of the other campers, glaring at her slighty shaking hands. Only Dale and Merle had noticed her minor shaking, Merle because he had carried her, which shocked the whole camp that the reckneck could do much else then shout, brawl and swear and Dale because the wise old man missed nothing and cared for the young woman as much as he did Amy and Andrea. Jacqui and Andrea had the sense, and the morality, to cover Micheal's body with an old worn towel, mostly so his death frozen features would'nt scare Carl more then he already was.

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Aurora looked up at T-Dog as Glenn sat beside her.

"You okay?" T-Dog asked with a small sympathetic smile which echoed on Glenn's features.

"Yeah I'm fine," she mumbled, patting T-Dog's hand before he was ushered out of the way by Amy who stroked Aurora's hair lovingly.

Slapping away many hand with her own shaking ones, Aurora attempted to get them to stop fussing over her, she had alwas hated that. They smiled at her, happy that she stil had her spark. The camp fell silent as Daryl and Shane returned, Daryl strode over to the opposite side of the fire to Aurora, giving her a sutble wink as he sat down, wiping the blood off of his knuckles onto his blood splattered hunter's vest.  
Aurora blushed in the firelight at Daryl's attentions and for once Shane was glad that the Dixons were in camp.

"So, we burn the bodies?" Merle asked from his positon near the fire.  
"es?" Dale asked, shocked, "You killed another?"  
"Once you start its hard to stop," Daryl drawled, "besides, the fuck-wits deserved it." he cracked his knuckles again, seemingly oblivous to the blood in his blonde hair and stubble.

The camp said nothing, shocked that both men were dead, but not shocked that Daryl had killed one of them.

"We bury them." Lori said after awhile, still holding Carl close and stroking his hair ad the boy clung to her.  
"Nawh, they donna deserve buryin'," Merle spat, "We should burn them."

"They're not walkers, they were human," Glenn spoke quietly, wanting to make a point but not wanting to upset his friend for sticking up for men who had attacked her.

"Dun' mean notin'!" Daryl snapped.

Shane said nothing, but stood quietly watching the flames and the camp. Aurora watched the camp who she had come to think of as a family, they had rushed to protect her and had actually killed other humans to stop her being under threat.  
"I hate to say it," she said slowly and the whole camp looked at her, "but I agree with Lori, we need to bury them."  
"How can you say that?" Merle snapped, while Daryl and Shane simply scowled.

"Think about it logically," she said, pulling a strand of brown hair behind her hair, accidently giving the camp a view of the deep purple fingertip-shaped bruises on the side of her neck, "I know the two at the lake are bleeding alot, we leave them like that the smell will attract walkers. We burn them and not only will we be stunk out but the smell will stay for a long time and travel along way, we dont want company."

The camp was silent as they took in what had been said.  
"She's right," Shane sighed, "We'll bury them tomorrow."

/

The camp had fallen back into awkard conversation, apart from Merle who had stomped off to invade his stash and get high and Carl had been sent to bed.  
Aurora sat between Glenn and Shane listening to Andrea telling amsuing stories about Amy as a child, who giggled and covered her face while cursing her embarrassing sister. Aurora smiled listening to them, it was as if the world hadn't ended, they weren't being hunted for their tasty organs by flesh eating monsters and there wasn't three dead bodies in camp. Ah, the power of denial.

Daryl sat silent around the fire but resigned himself to half-listening and stealing glances at a now smiling Aurora and the blood-boiling bruises on the side of her neck. The camp turned when they hears shuffling near the fire, they all turned to smile at Carl. The poor young boy looked beyond tired.

"What's a matter son?" Shane smiled at him and Aurora inwardly glared at her brother, how dare he try to steal his dead bestfriends son and wife!

"I was wondering if I could talk to Aunt Aurora?" he asked quietly while his mum lovingly stroked his arm.

"I know that face!" Aurora declared happily before jumped to a stand, which shocked most of the camp, apart from Daryl who was watching the young woman's bust as she jumped up, "Glenn can I borrow your cap?"

she batted her eyes lashes at the asian man before sticking out her bottom lip, "Pleeeease!"

Carl laughed at his god-mother and once again everyone in the camp smiled..apart from Daryl, who glared at the ex-pizza boy who was taking Aurora's attention. With great confusion and a smile, Glenn handed over the cap and Aurora jumped over the log she had been sat on and ran to Carl's tent with the boy. Jumping into the tent, Carl knew the drill and was already in his sleeping bag, lay down expectantly.

"Soooo, you wanna talk to me?" She smiled.  
"I couldn't sleep.." the boy said quietly and it was obvious that he was still shaken up by the incident earlier.  
"Well its a good job you've got an author who's awesome at bedtime stories for a Aunt, right?" Aurora smiled, pushing some of the boys hair out his face as he smiled brightly at her.

"I'm glad you're my god-mum." he smiled.  
"Me too." Aurora grinned.

/

Carl lay back in his sleeping bag, his small chest heaving with laugher, his face bright red with tears streaming down his face as he watched Aurora, with her hair hidden in Glenn's hat, pretending to be a gangster for her story.

Laughing herself, Aurora sat back, but didn't let her hair free as she gently pulled the blanket over the still sniggering boy, "Time for you to sleep I think." she smiled.

"You'd make a good princess, like in your stories," the boy smiled sleepily, "You're pretty like a princess."

"I'm sure your mummy wouldn't like you lying young man." she smiled back as he yawned.

"Nooo, I heard people saying it."

"Ohh, who?"

"I was playing hide and seek behind the tents with Sophia and I heard Merle say," The boy paused so he could do a deep Merle voice, "Daryl how are you and the purdy girly getting on?"

Aurora giggled into her hand at the young boys inpression of the large redhead, "Oh? And what did he say back."

"He said you were to purdy for your own good because you have a nice ass," He laughed.

"Carl watch your language!" Aurora scolded but couldn't fight the blush rising to her cheeks.

Kissing her god-son's forehead goodnight, Aurora left the tent and wondered back to the now empty camp fire though the orange flames still burned slowly.  
"Ya know tha chink's hat don suit ya," Daryl's voice drawled from behind her, Aurora turned to glare playfully at the hick who stalked up to her and fell back beside her.

"What you don't think I'm purdy?" she smirked, batting her eyelashes, Daryl's head snapped to glare at her.

"I'ma kill Merle," he snapped and Aurora giggled slightly into her hand.

"No you got grassed up by a slightly smaller man," she smiled and Daryl simply glared into the fire.

"Take the hat off," He snapped as he glared into the fire.

"What?" she asked quietly, suppressed at the vemon in his voice.  
"You heard." he snapped again, "Take off tha goddamn hat."

"Why?" she ased quietly. Daryl leaned over and harshly jabbed the side of her neck. Aurora gave a sharp intake of breath before pushing herself away from him which resulted in her falling on the floor and whining slightly in pain.

"The fuck?" she growled from he place on the floor. With grace only obtained from his years of huntering small woodland creatures, Daryl knelt over the youn woman, his knees on either side of hers and his hands on either side of her neck.

"I told ya to take it off," he reasoned as she gave in a werid look, "ya hair covers ya bruises." he explained in a slightly lighter tone.  
Aurora's eyes widened slightly in realisation before slowly raising a hand, taking off the cap and leanign back putting it behind her.

The pair of them stared at each other for a moment, the flickering glow of the fire washed over the pair.

"Here's me thinking that you were angry because Simon might be a better kisser than you." Aurora smirked trying to get a rise from the hick.

"He kissed ya?" He growled, leaning down so that he was straddling her waist, his face in hers. Suprised by the angry change, Aurora raised her hands beside her head in surender.  
"He wasn't better then ya I didn't mean it," she said quietly looking off to the side. Daryl sighed feeling guilt stab at his gut, he hadn't meant to scare her after the way she had been scared earlier that night. Balancing on one hand, the lean man put the other gently under Aurora's chin and pulled her face so that she was looking at him. Her eyes stared into his, questioning his movements as his face came closer to hers.  
Aurora moaned quietly when his lips pressed against hers, his stuble tickled and scratched her face slightly as she titled her head and wrapped her arms around his neck. Daryl lay himself down on the young woman, one of his legs pushing inbetween her legs, while his hands ran sensually down her curves making Aurora moan untill they stopped on her hips.  
Taking advantage of her moan, Daryl pushed his toungue inside her mouth, loving the way that her body squirmed as she kissed him back.

They pulled back, gasping, with plump wet lips and Darly resisted the urge to pounce on them once more. 

"What happened to asking permisson?" Aurora breathed, her cheeks flushed.  
"I had ah point ta prove," he smirked.  
"Well point proved," she smiled, her arms still around his neck as she leaned up and sucked on his bottom lip making him groan slightly.

"Its cold out here...shall we got to my tent?" she asked quietly.

The hunter smirked, "Sure."

**Okay guys! Next Chapter = Smut? or Simply sweet sleeping? Reviews to decide please!**

** ErisandDysomnia: Glad you like my Merle, I think he could be a nice guy sometimes :)  
TheImmortalChaplin: I'm glad you like the chapter, thank yooou! Its makes me happy you're enjoying it :P  
Rickii101: Hell yeah! Being raised by cops she best be kick ass!  
TheStuffDreamsAreMadeOf: Glad you're hooked! :) My secret story fishing plan is in effect ;)  
constantlylost: Another one that likes my Merle! Yay! He is awesome.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone thanks for all the reviews! 3  
Well...this whole chapter is smut...the votes spoke, hope I suplied well enough :) **

Picking up Glenn's cap off of the ground, Aurora jumped up and walked to her tent, Daryl following close behind with his crossbow. Leaving his weapon leant up against the outside of Aurora's tent, he followed her inside.

Daryl glanced around the young womans tent, it wasn't as big as some the others but it fit her 'bed', which was a sleeping bag as a mattress and a mess of blankets as cover, and her beg and weapons next to it.

Aurora stood awkwardly in the middle of her tent. Daryl smirked to himself before kicking back his boots and flopping back onto the blankets.

"Make yourself at home then," Aurora smiled, shaking her head at the hick as she kicked her own boots off and turned away from him to take off her jacket and drop Glenn's hat on her weapon pile.

"Will do, how bout some hospitality?" he smirked before sitting up, leaning forwards and grabbing the woman by her hips, pulling her down so that she sat in his lap.

Aurora squirmed in his lap, annoyed but swooning at being manhandled.

"This is your idea of hospitality?" she asked him, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting.

"Not yet," he whispered pulled her hair so that the unbruised side of her neck was left open for his lips. Aurora sighed as he kissed from just under her ear down to the back of her neck, laying her head on his shoulder as he kissed her neck softly.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled the brunette so that his front was flush against her back, him sat cross-legged with Aurora in his lap, her legs stretched in front of her.

With a devilish smirk, that Aurora would have feared if she had seen it, Daryl pressed his lips against the soft pale flesh of her neck before sucking harshly. Aurora gasped, her eyes snapping open at the suprisingly pleasurable tingling pain. Daryl pulled away, smirking, before pulling at his mark once more with his teeth.  
"Less me guess," Aurora breathed, her head still on his shoulder, facing away from him, "We're even again?"  
Daryl frowned, "Nawh, we wah even earlier."

"Then why are you here?" she asked, still looking away from him.  
"Thought you might want my strong sen protectin' ya from tha dark," he smirked.  
Aurora gently pulled herself forward in his grasp before spinning in his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around around his waist. He smirked at her once more, running his hands down her sides before cupping her rear and pulling her body flush against his.  
"I never thanked you for saving me earlier," she whispered against his lips.

He raised an eyebrow, "How do you plan ta do that?" he asked her, his eyes glinting with lust as he watched her bite her bottom lip seducively.

"Well, what reward would you like?" she whispered, the tent seeming to echo in the silence while Daryl thought over his request.  
"I want ya' ta trust me." he told her eventually.

Aurora raised a slender eyebrow, "I think thats a given."

He said nothing but leaned forwards kiss her repeatedly, slowing his withdrawal from his lips each time as his fingertips tickled the bottom of her tshirt before slowly pushing it up, his large hands stretching over her flat stomach making her her hips incline towards him from the ticklish sensation. He gently pushed her so that she could pull her t-shirt off and throw it on the weapons with Glenn's hat.

Daryl ran his palm over her black bra, not as sexy as when she had brought it but the end of the world could ruin lingerie, Aurora laced her arms around his neck once more. He pulled her backside so that he ground against her, her back titling further away so that Daryl could lick the cavern between her cloth covered breasts making Aurora sigh and close her eyes. Daryl smirked before running a hand up her back and pinching her bra strap, he glared at the air when it failed to release the breasts he wanted to taste so badly. Reluctantly letting his other hand to move up from its pace of her backside, Daryl pulled at the strap, wishing its demise.

The man scowled when he heard the young womans laughter at his expense as she moved to remove the garment herself.  
"I can do it," he growled, tugging at it even more, "Jus' need ma knife." Another tug.

"Oh no you don't!" Aurora scolded, "I only have two bras so dont even think about cutting it up." she grumbled as she effortlessly removed it himself and threw it with her shirt.  
Daryl glared at her, "You don't need a bra."  
"No, I guess you're right," she said, linking her arms around him once more, "I guess I could live without a bra, give Glenn and T-Dog a show everyday through my shirt, it is pretty thin."

Daryl pulled her closer, grinding against her slowly, "Keep the bra, ma eyes only."

Aurora blushed, "Oh really?"

The hunter pushed his face against the crook of her neck, nodding, "I wouldn' be 'ere for a quick lay, told ya' Ma raised me right."

Aurora blushed once more, mumbling something about him being raised well as he rubbed his rough thumb across her nipple while biting lightly on her collar bone. Daryl pushed forward so that he could lay Aurora down on the blankets, his toungue trailing down her neck and breasts before gently biting and sucking one nipple while pinching the other. Aurora's mouth opened in a silent moan, she hadn't been touched for so long and his touch was so good, the hunter seemed to pick up on the womans mood as he bit down harshly on her breast making her arch her back.

Leaning back, Daryl pulled off his vest, throwing it with the other disguarded clothing before rushing back down, pushing his lips harshly against hers, their toungues immediantly fighting for domance and their naked chests rubbed slowly against each other making both tingle with excitement. Threading her fingers in his short hair, Aurora moaned into the kiss as his finger tips tickled her lower stomach as he tugged at her belt buckle. Not breaking the kiss he tugged once more achieving the same result. He growled in annoyance into the kiss, the rush of dominance from the man making Aurora purr, Daryl noticed and smirked into the kiss, enjoying his submissive kitten's purr. He pulled her belt again, getting annoyed at the obstacle.

Aurora smiled into the kiss before pulling away panting, "Don't think about taking your big ass knife to my belt."

"Well get rid of it so I can show you something else big." he smirked.

Aurora raised her eyebrow, "You're confident."

"You'll see why."

"Oh will I?"

"If ya feel up to it, I mean afta' ealier you might not be up ta doin'..." he paused letting her catch his meaning.

"I think I'm up to doing you." she purred licking his chin.

Daryl grinned as Aurora opened her beltbuckle before putting her hands back to his neck and pulling him down for another heated tounge war while he buttoned her jeans and lid his hands into her jeans, rubbing against her underwear, she gasped, closing her eyes, leaving her mouth open to be explored by Daryl's. Sitting back on his heels, making Aurora whine at the loss of lips from her own, Daryl pulled at her jeans before slding them off and disguarding them, he smiled hearing her breath hitch as he ran large callous hand up her long shapely legs before reaching her backside and pulling her underneath him.

Daryl froze when Aurora stopped him from removing her underwear, instantly worried that he may have been no better then the men who had tried to rape her only a few hours earlier. Aurora smiled at him, gently bushing her hand down his stubled cheek.

"I don' see why I'm naked and you're not." she whispered, her toungue darting to lick her lips.  
Breathing a sigh of relief, Daryl moved to undo his jeans untill he pushed onto his backside by the young brunette before she slowly unbuttoned his jeans pulling them down and off before turning her attentions to his boxers and the tent made out of them.

Aurora glanced at him, eyebrow raised as she tried not to stare at the obvious erection in his boxers. He simply looked at her, no smirk, no grin, just watching. It registered to the young woman that she should be afraid of that stare, the focused predatory stare he used when hunting but instead she shivered with renewed lust, enjoing the feeling of being Daryl's prey because she knew that he was keep her from other predators, like the loots from before or even the walkers. Daryl lifted himself slightly to allow the woman to pull off his boxers before sitting back down.  
Aurora gulped as she sat between his spread legs and wrapped her delicate hand around his large manhood. Truth be told, she was scared of what Dary'ls concealed weapon could do her insides, she hadn't had many sexual partners and when she had the experience had been more for their pleasure then her own with a lack of interesting positions or foreplay, Aurora already knew Daryl was going to be different.

"Ya' don' hav' ta'," Daryl mumbled between the strong slow strokes of Aurora's hands as she leaned down. His arguement crumbled with his resolve as the tip of her toungue ran over the top of his member, his soft moan giving the confidence she needed, Aurora leaned down, taking his head into her mouth she sucked softly while lapping at the precum that pooled at the tip of his erection. The salty taste stuck to her toungue as Aurora shallowed as much as she could of her lover before bobbing her head back and forth, sucking and lapping as she went, enticing moans from the redneck as he thread his hands in her hair guiding her head as he bucked up into her mouth. Aurora closed her eyes when she felt his member pulsate in her hand and mouth. With a stangled cry, his eyes closed tight and a rough pull of his lovers hair, Daryl releashed into Aurora's mouth, who quickly swallowed his seed.

Daryl releashed the woman before falling back, his arms spread, panting. Aurora glanced over him, his eyes hadn't opened yet and his chest still heaved and for a fleeting moment she was scared that she had hurt the hick. Opening one eye, Daryl watched his topless irresistable lover staying away from him. Sitting up he smirked at her, "You're turn." The predator pounced on Aurora who, with an undignified squeak, fell back onto the bed with the lean redneck on top of her, once again biting her neck.

She wasn't sure how her underwear had disappeared, or when it had gone but when Aurora felt Daryl's probing fingers in her wet entrance she didn't really care about clothes or lack off but rather keeping her hips bucking at the pace his fingers pumped inside of her.

Aurora panted, her skin red and her eyes half open when she felt Daryl withdrawn his fingers and the crown of his member rub against her opening, she moaned looking into Daryl's eyes and nodding in answer of his unasked question, she was ready for him. Her nails dug into his shoulder as he pentrated her, giving her a chance to get accustumed to his size before slowly pulling out, Aurora moaned loudly as he held her hips in his hands and pushed all the way back inside her. Aurora moaned once more and Daryl let out a shakey breath before pulling out more roughly then pouding back against her.

Her head rested to the side on the floor, giving Daryl a glourious view of both his marks on her neck and her bouncing breasts as he snapped his hips against hers, pounding relentlesly into her tight, wet, heat, her legs wrapped tightly around his hips. Her moans floated around his ears, soft and short while he breathed deep, raspy breaths.

"Ahhh~" he moaned, his release so close he could taste it, he moaned louder again when he felt her womanhood tightened more around him, she was close too. Leaning down, he kissed her deeply swallowing her moans as he pumped faster.

Seeing white, Aurora squeezed her eyes shut tightly, he back arching off the the bed as she screamed her release into the kiss, Daryl subliminaly concious of not wanting anyone to walk in and see _his_ woman so beautifull debauched. Her walls clamped around his manhood, Daryl pulled away from the kiss, cursing and throwning he head back as he pounded against her widely shooting his own release inside her. The couple lay panting until Daryl gently pulled out, making them both moan, and pulled some cover over both of them before pulling her too him and wrappin her in his lean arms.

"That's your idea of hospitality?" she smiled against his sweat glistened chest, Daryl mumbled for her to shuur'up and go to sleep before kissing her head.

**Please review ~ hope this was okay!**

**All Review that voted, voted for smut, you're all Daryl perverts...but so am I !**

**- ErisandDysomnia: Hope this fufills your smut needs!**

**- Rickii101: I love Carl! Not so keen on his mum though honestly :P**

**- TheStuffDreamsAreMadeOf : Thaaank you :) hope you like it!**

**- Kakashi-luver: Glad you like it, hopefully this one is longer for you :)**

**- Lucy Freebird: Thaaaank yoou! Thats sooo sweet! :)**

**- constantlylost: Hope I didn't hold out on you! **

**- viktorskrumpet: You individual (since i dont know your gender, sorry!) Made my whoole freakin day! 3**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you for all my reviews you smutt-lovers!**

Glenn stared at the tent, T-Dog stood behind him, sniggering to himself.  
"Whats up with you two?" Amy asked from her seat at the extingused camp fire with Andrea, Jacqui and Dale.  
"My hats in there." Glenn mummbled still staring at Aurora's tent.  
"Go get it?" Dale suggested the obvious, "I'm sure Aurora won't mind if you wake her up."  
Glenn shook his head and T-Dog sniggered once more.

"Ohhh~" Amy clapped her hands in realisation before pointing to the crossbow lent up against Aurora's tent.  
"Is Daryl in there?" Andrea asked, shocked but thinking of ways that she could pester Aurora with this.  
"We think so," T-Dog looked over his hsoulder to answer them.  
"So's my hat." Glenn mummbled, not looking back at the people surounding the campfire.

Amy gave an amused gasp and nudged Jacqui and Andrea before nodding towards Shane who was striding towards the small assembled group, the other women's eyes twinkled with amusement.  
"Why are you all sat here?" Shane's voice rumbled and all the gossiper and hat mourners turned to look at him, "Well?" Shane asked when no one answered.  
"Err, I'm waiting for Aurora to wake up so I can get my cap." Glenn told the officer.  
"Well you tried waking 'er up?" the man suggested, much like Dale had done previously.  
"I'd rather not," Glenn said awkwardly.

With a raised eyebrow Shane marched towards Aurora's tent, oblivious to the crossbow outside of it. Glenn stepped forward to warn Shane that Aurora may not be alon but was stopped by T-Dog's hand on his shoulder and a shake of the larger mans head.  
"Hey rora," Shane stood outside the tent, "Time to get your ass up, we need more firewood."  
Shane leaned forward to listen to his sister's reply of 'give me a minute' before nodding at his achievement of waking her and walking off, leaving the fire-dewelers to what they had dubed 'Daryl watch', the apocolype did leave them with a lack of entertainment after all.

/( Inside the tent )\

Feeling something soft brush over his chest, Daryl's eyes snapped open and awake, his arms instantly tightening to kill any walker. Hearing a soft pained moan, Daryl glared down at the, slightly squished, naked brunette in his arms. Relaxing his arms Daryl watched as the woman snuggled up against his lean chest to get comfortable.

"I aint no damn teddy!" he scolded half-heartedly as he nudged her awake.  
Aurora clung to him tighter, "Ya'll do as your told." she mumbled sleepy, pressing her face against his chest to try to fall back into the comforting realm of sleep.  
"Says who?" he mumbled, squeezing her slightly in her arms making her squirm.  
"Says the tired girl," she mumbled against him, whining when Daryl sat up taking his arms away from her. Wrapping her arms around herself, Aurora spun around so that she was face down in the pillow, her back to Daryl.

"Don' care if you tired or not, time ta get up." he said as he sat up, digging through the pile of disguarded clothes to try and find his boxers.  
"Never!" she protested into the pillow.  
Daryl's eyebrow quirked at her protest as he pulled on his underwear and pulled out his bottoms from the pile and pulled them on.  
"Do as you told." he snapped as he pulled his vest over his head.  
"Make meee~!" she sang into her pillow, secure in her fluffy heaven, until a her smirking lover ran a hand down her back, delighted in the shiver he recieved before leaning down and biting her shoulder.

With an undignified squeal, Aurora leapt back landing on her rear, glaring at the smirking blond before her.

"You prick!" she glared, holding her shoulder. His smirk was smacked away when Aurora threw her pillow at his face, the pillow fell and Aurora squeaked at Daryls glare, though he simply threw it back at her before throwing her pile of clothes at her. She stared down at the clothes in her lap, before slowly pulling them on, Daryl watched her with interest, she was beautiful but he didn't miss her saddened gaze as she slowly pulled her clothes on.

"Ya' regrettin' it?" he asked darkly. Aurora's head snapped up to face him, his gaze bore into her and Aurora shook her head.

"No," she mumbled, "just wonderin' what this is?"

"This?" the blond man asked, knowing where this was going but wanting the woman to ask.

"Us? If their is an us?" she mumbled, looking down, feeling the fool while she played with the edge of her t-shirt. Daryl leaned forward, putting one hand on the back of the bunette's head he pulled her towards him and kissed her deeply. As they pulled away, Aurora opened her eyes slowly to spy a smirking Daryl.  
"Weren't ya' listenin last night, I ain't 'ere for a quick lay." he told her, the young woman smiled at him, opening mouth to say something before she was interupted by :

"Hey rora, time to get your ass up, we need more firewood."

Aurora groaned, her older brother could be such a drag sometimes! Telling him to give her a minute, Aurora went back to kissing her lover.

/

After Shane had left, no doubt to continue his leadership duties, Amy sat staring at Aurora's tent with Andrea, Jacqui and Glenn, who was still pinning for his hat. Amy squeaked slightly at the prospect of gossip when Aurora's tent unzipped, she nudged her sister and Jacqui as the dirty blond head of Daryl surfaced from the tent before he stood straight and rolled his shoulders slightly. He glared ahead, feeling the stares of some of the other survivors boreing into his side as he lifted his crossbow from where he had left it, obviously its placement as a warning had worked.

Aurora came out of the tent soon after, axe in hand, rolling her own shoulder from the pain on being bitten. Daryl smirked at the woman, winking at her, though the others didn't see this, as he stalked off to find his brother.

Smiling to herself, Aurora walked over to the survivors around the camp fire, put down her axe and threw Glenns cap into the asian man's lap. He stared at it before lifting it up between two fingers and sniffing it to check it was not contaminated by any bodily fluids. Pleased with his inspection he pulled his cap on happy at the renioun.

Aurora shook her head as she pulled her boots laces to tighten them, her hair falling down her back.

"Soooooo?" Jacqui started the interrogating.  
"Soooo, what?" Aurora asked, playing innocent as she tied her boots, not noticing the collective gaze on both brusied sides of her neck.

"Soo," Amy took over, "Was he any good?"

Andrea spluttered on the sip of water she had been drinking, Jacqui coughed awkardly, Glenn attempted to look everywhere but at Aurora while Amy sat there content in the awkwardness she had created.

After a moment of blush-filled silence, Aurora started to work on her other boot, while mumbling, "Thats very presumptous of you to think that anything of that nature happened in there."  
"Well, what do you expect us to think?" Jacqui smiled, "He stays in your tent over night and you comeout with love bites on what was the clean side of your neck."

Aurora's hands flew to both sides her neck, "Shit, end of the world no make-up to cover up!" she snapped.

"So something did happen?" Amy pointed out, laughing at her friend who was still covering her brusies with her hands.

"I think you've figured that out yourself!" Aurora grubled, pulling her hair over her shoulders to cover the marks, Amy giggled loudly.  
"Well, this just got far too awkward for me, I'm gonna oversee the body pit." Glenn said as he stood and walked off to were Jason, Michael and Simon were being buried.  
"Was he good?" Andrea asked, leaning forward.

Aurora ignored her.

"Come on Aurora!" Amy smiled, "Share the juicy details."

Aurora ignored her too.  
"As long as you're sure about this." Jacqui said eventually making Aurora look up at her strangely.  
"Sure about what?" she said, raising to her full height after finishing with her boots.  
"About Daryl," Jacqui said, "He's volitle and dangerous."

"She's right," Andrea nodded, "being his bed buddy might be hazardous to your health, I mean look at your neck."

"We're not bed buddies!" Aurora snapped, putting her hands on her hips and feeling suspiously like her older brother.  
Amy frowned, confused, "But you just said that you two-" she waved her hand in the air to finish her implication.  
"We did." Aurora nodded making all three women stared at her confused.  
"Oh hunny!" Andrea said, "dont convince yourself that this is something special, I don't want to see you get hurt by the stupid hick when you come to your senses."

Aurora glared at them as Jacqui and Amy nodded in agreement. Still glaring, Aurora picked up her axe and marched to the woods ignoring the women's stares.

/

Hanging washing on the make-shift line like a good housewife, Lori couldn't supress her grin when she saw Shane approaching her.  
"Heeey~," he smiled flirtaously at her, carefull not to do to much in public.  
"Hey there," Lori smiled, "You seem to be taking it well."

"Taking what well?" Shane asked, his expression showing his confussion.

Lori smirked to herself with glee, "Oh you know about Daryl spending the night in Aurora's tent."  
"You what?" Shane snapped, hand instantly reaching for his pistol.  
"Yeah," Lori said, pretending to be more interested in her washing then Shane's reactions, "Its all over camp...and apparentley your sister is too."

With a growl, Shane stalked off, hand on his pistol, his features conturted with furious rage.

/

Aurora swung the axe again spliting the wood before her into two almost identicle logs. Sighing, Aurora leant her axe against the stump she had been cutting logs on the wiped her damp forehead with the back of her hand, sorely missing bottled water. She smiled as she saw her brother approaching her, she pointed at ther pile of logs, "See, I can do what i'm told." she smiled.  
Shane glared as he stomped, almost childishly, towards her, stopping just short of her to glare into thin air.  
"You know," Aurora started, trying to edge her brother from whatever mood he was in, "We've got lots of muscular men that could do this for me." she laughed.  
"Like Daryl?" Shane spat, finally turning to look at his little sister.  
Pretending to not hear his malicious tone Aurora simply smiled, "Yeah, he is one of the more able bodied in camp."

"Oh, did you find that out last night?" Shane snapped.  
"I thought it was pretty obvious when you meet him."  
"Don't tip-toe arround the subject!" he snapped.

Aurora avoided her brothers gaze, feeling like a child who was being told off for crossing the road with out holding a parents hand.  
"What subject? Firewood?" Aurora asked, trying to difuse the oncoming situtation before either of them lost their temper, they used to have Rick to separate them but now...

"Fucking Daryl!" Shane snapped pointing at her, "You slept with Daryl!"

"How did you...?" she asked quietly.  
"Everyone in camp is talking about my little sister fucking that son a bitch redneck! You expect me to not hear about it?" he growled, his face red from anger, his scowl seeming a permenant fixture.  
Aurora snapped, how dare her brother pass judgement on her or someone that gave her joy while the world was ending? So, in her rage, she couldn't stop herself.  
"I'm suprised you could hear anything since you've been using Lori's thighs as earmuffs!" She screamed back at her brother. 

The pair, and their surroundings, fell into and eerie silence. The siblings stared at each other, by not Rick would have stoped the argument, either verbally or physically, but now the fights elscalation knew no bounds.  
"I don't know what you're insinuating-" Shane started, pointing at his sister once more.  
"No I think you do know! You think I haven't seen you sneaking off, giggling behind the tents?" Aurora asked, blinding ignoring the warnings of Shane's anger.  
"Thats enough." he shouted at her.

The pair resolved to their staring match once more.

"You don't really think he cares about you, do you?" Shane asked slowly, trying to breath away his anger.  
Aurora sighed loudly, not unlike a spoilt teen, "Not this again."

"Again? So someone else has tried to warn you and you're just gonna ignore them too?" Shane snapped, "Why can't you see he's a bad guy."  
"And why can't you see that there is no bad guys and good guys anymore? Just walkers and humans."

Shane's hands attached themselves to his hips - again - as he sighed.

"Shane I love you, you know I do," Aurora said quietly so that the ex-officer had to strain to hear her, "But you need to stop babing me. Everyone's gone...I need to learn how to look after myself, god knows Rick can't anymore and you've got all of camp to look out more. Just trust me, if I get hurt its my fault, but I just want to live before the walkers catch up with me."

The pair stood silently once more. Eventually Shane gave a sad smiled before slowling walking over to his sister, putting a strong arm around her shoulder and pulling her side to him in a hug.  
"If he fucks up i'm still gonna kill him." Shane told her as they hugged, making Aurora laugh at her big brother.

/

"Merle! Git yo lazy ass up!" Daryl snapped as he approached their shared tent. Suprisingly Merle was awake, and not high, when Daryl entered the tent.  
"You git lucky last night?" Merle smirked from his position sat on the tent floor. Daryl laid his crossbow on the floor while nodding to his brother.  
"Treat 'er right." Merle warned from his position on the floor. Daryl stared down at this older brother, the man never failed to confuse him or seem to add another layer to his already rubix-cube complexity.  
"Did ya' wan' 'er, or somethink?" The youngest Dixon growled bitterly, not at all enjoying the distatefull look his brother gave him.

"Nah, you know she ta' skinny fa me." Merle laughed loudly and Daryl half wondered if he was still intact because his brother might be high but seeing none of the other tale-tell signs of drugs Daryl simply shook his head. He knew that Merle wasn't interested in the young Walsh but instead had a strange, if not warped, paternal/sibling relationship with the young girl. No apologies were said or needed from Daryl, both knew it just as both knew that if one of them hurt the young brunette in question the other brother would make their life or physical beging hurt like hell.

"Ya' goin' somewhere?" Daryl asked eventually, seeing the bag at Merle's feet as his older brother put a hunting knife in it.  
"Yea' Atlanta," Merle said, not bothering to look at his brother's confussed expression, "Officer smug-twat finally told the chink he could go fetch more supplys but he canna' go on his lonesome." The other redneck explained.  
"Sure thats a good idea?" Daryl asked slowly.

"You got a betta' one?" Merle asked as he stood and walked out of the tent, guesturing for his brother to follow him. Daryl follow him to the middle of the camp the, currently extinguisted, campfire. Looking around, Daryl was sure that all of the camp was here.

"I'm sure theres no reason for you to go," Dale reasoned with the survivors going into the city. Daryl watched as Aurora, who was stood too close to Glenn for his liking, nodded in agreement with the youngest of the blonde sisters, though Daryl didn't know her name.  
"We need more suppiles." Andrea reasoned with the group, Aurora barely resisted the urge to laugh, she knew that she was only going to fetch Amy a gift.

The group lined up to go, next to a spare car that Shane had given them permission to use. Aurora's eyes washed over the line, hating the unsettling feeling that she may never see some of these people, her family, again. Dale gave T-Dog his tool kit, on the promise of his bringing it back, Amy held her sister close and Morales said good bye to his family.  
Aurora hugged them all in turn, holding her friends close like she'd never get another chance. She wrapped her arms around Glenn's neck as she hugged him tight, telling him to come back and did the same with Merle, ignoring the light growling coming from Daryl behind them.  
"Ya look afta' ya sen, i'll be back soon." Merle told Aurora, patting her shoulder then nodding his goodbye to his brother before the group left. The camp returned to normal duties, albiet quieter with the sinking dread in their stomachs. Amy sat at the fire, watching nothing and everthing and Aurora wondered if she would just sit there untill her sister returned.

Aurora turned to Daryl, who was stood behind her. She knew he was angry that Merle had decided to go and could do nothing to stop him. Stepping forwards into her personal space, he leaned down and gently kissed her forehead, the most public display of comfort he had ever given and, to Shane who was watching the couple from the side of camp, that meant alot.

**Review pleeeeease!**

**- Kakashi-luver: I think a few people would fight you for that title!**

**- ErisandDysomnia: I'm a hero? Thats got to be my greatest accomplisment!**

**- Lucy Freebird: Glad your loving it, hope you continue to do so!**

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**- BrianaMichele: Awesomesauce? What a funky word! :) Glad you're loving it! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks to everyone who added this story to their favourites/alerts - don't be afraid to review! ;)  
Thanks to all my reviewers , you make me happy!**

The days passed slowly since the group had left to fetch supplies, Amy went about her camp duties slowly wishing for the return of her sister, Dale stood on his RV alwas on the lookout for their friends return. Aurora was at in her tent, using an old metal file she had found to sharpen her axe, when the flap was pushed open and Daryl stalked in, droppin his bow before sitting down next to her. They said nothing to each other for a while, content in the confortable silence. Since the group had gone scavaging for suppiles, Daryl had withdrawn himself further form camp untill the only one who even saw him was Aurora, something that annoyed Shane but he left it, not wantind to cause more issues for the camp.  
"I'ma go hunting." Daryl told her eventually, as he lay back closing his eyes.  
"Walkers or food?" Aurora asked, her eyes not leaving her filing task.

Daryl smirked at this, somehow since he had met Aurora and solidied what he assumed was their relationship with their passion filled night she knew how to get to him like no other did.  
"Can you imagine ye brothers face is I dragged back a walker?" he smirked at her, his eyes still closed.  
Aurora laughed, "It would still be better then your mug."

Daryl said nothing but when he heard his lover lay the axe down he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her too him. She giggled as she was pulled to lie next to him as he began to tickle her side knowing her extreme ticklishness.

"Note wrong wi' my mug." he mumbled as he stopped tickling her, because she threatened to scream walker, and calmed down.  
"I like your mug," Aurora smiled as she curled up against his side, his arm around her waist holding her close. Daryl didn't reply but simply watched the young woman rest her head on his chest.

"When are you going huntin'?" Aurora asked him, abesentmindedly drawing circles on his chest with her finger.  
"Now." he said sitting up and bringing the woman with him, pulling her into his lap and resting his head on her shoulder.  
"Well," she snuggled against him slightly and he shuffled awkardly not used to being touchey-feely with anyone, "You don't seem ta be movin' to close ta the woods."  
Daryl shuffled once more getting used to the feeling of someone in his lap, "Well you're using me as a pillow again."

"Let me get up then," She snapped trying to get up only to be wrenched back by Daryl who kissed the side of her neck repeatedly before letting her stand.  
"Try not to hunt too many walkers." Aurora smiled as Daryl left her tent. He turned to look at her briefly, not that she saw this, as he went to the forest edge going to take his frustrations of his brother out on some poor squrriels.

/

Since her lover had left camp to hunt, time had slowed for Aurora, the days seemed to drag on longer then usual as if giving Daryl daylight to hunt by and yet her neck remained a sickly yellow, tainted by the brusies that her brother glared at each time they found themselves within each others company. Aurora had been sat with Lori, not through choice, attenting to the fireplace and pots when Amy walked over to them, red bucket in hand and Aurora found herself wondering how Amy's jeans had managed to say white but said nothing for fear of seeming more odd then usual.  
"Any luck?" Lori asked her when then blond approached them.  
"How do we tell if there posion?" Amy asked Lori as she poured the contents of her bucket into a metal bowl that Lori was holding.  
"Ah, theres only one sure way I know of," she said taking one of the things and examining it.  
"Ask Shane when he gets back?" Amy suggested sitting down.  
Lori placed the bowl on the floor and wiped her hand on her already dirty clothes, "Yeah you got it." she told the blonde before thanking her and without another glance at Aurora or Amy, picked up the bucket, stood and left. Shouting to Dale that see was leaving and commanding her son to stay in the old mans sight.

"If you see anthing holla, i'll come running." Dale told her as she walked off spouting a saracastic comment.

Aurora smiled to herself, Dale was so kind, she had lost everyone when the world ended but gained a new family, lover and father figure...it was a shame that they couldn't have saved Rick...Aurora forced the depressing thoughts to the back of her mind when she noticed that Amy's gaze had settled upon her.  
"Why are'nt they back yet?" The blonde asked quietly, not wishing to voice her fears to loudly for fear they may come to or scare Carl who was in ear shot.  
"They'll be back," Aurora told her friend with fake confidence, "They will." she gave a small smile put that was apparently enough to please Amy for a while.

/

_**Hello basecamp? **_

Aurora ran to the RV at the sound of the radio to stand with Amy as Dale climbed aboard the roof.

_**Can anybody out there hear me?**_

Shane, Lori and other rushed to the RV as Dale reached the radio

_**Basecamp, this is T-Dog, anybody hear me?**_

"Hello? Hello?" Dale asked into the radio, the camp watching and listening eagerly, "Receptions bad on this, repeat, repeat."

_**Shane is that you?**_

"Is that them?" Lori asked, hands on hips, Carl next to her.

_**#Buuzz# we're trapped iin the department store**_.

Shane raised his hand to his mouth and wiped at his face in stress before running it over his hair, Jim, Amy and Aurora stood silently, listening waiting.  
"He say they were trapped?" Shane asked.

_**Geeks all over the place, hundreds of 'em, we're surrounded.**_

Dale leaned over the radio, "T-Dog repeat that last, repeat." he spoke calmly though his expression showed his turmoil.  
"He said the department store," Aurora spoke quietly.  
"I heard it too." Dale agreed.  
The wind rumbled around the camp as Aurora turned to her brother, "Shane-"  
"No way." the brother snapped simply, not to be argued with, "We do not go after them, we do not risk the rest of the group y'all know that." 

"So we're just gonna leave her there?" Amy acussed, anger in her usually delicate features.  
"Look Amy," Shane said stepping towards her, "I know that this is not easy."

"She volentered to go, to help the rest of us." Amy reasoned.  
"I know," Shane offered weakly, "She knew the risks right? She's trapped, she's gone. Theres nothing we can do."  
"She's my sister you son of a bitch." Amy snapped before runing away from the other survivors.  
With a soul crushing look sent at her brother, Aurora was on Amy's heels following her into the woods and letting the young blonde woman embrace her for comfort and reasurance.

/

Aurora lay in her tent, wide-awake and fully dressed but with a stunning lack of effort to remove herself from her little sanctum. Amy had removed herself from the group almost spending all day in her tent away from the camp, mostly Shane, and Daryl had not been back for a few days which left Aurora and her miserable thoughts to themselves. When the world had ended she had lost everyone she ever cared for, save Carl and Shane, but she adapted and moved on, forming bonds with the camp, them becoming her family but now they were trapped in Atlanta, awaiting the death that would sooner or later come to swiftly wipe them all from the plannet. How could she let attachments grow knowing they would soon be severed by the reapers sickle or a walkers tainted grasp.  
With a sigh, that blew up her straying pieces of hair, she could hear her brother's banter with Carl and Lori outside the tent and listened quietly happy for Shane and Carl that they could find a sliver of happiness within these times but couldn't dislodge the thoughts of it being dishourable to Rick's memory. Aurora sighed, she needed Daryl badly, not just to save her sanity from these people, no Glenn could do that, but she needed Daryl to help with the niggling need between her legs when she thought of her lover. She sighed once more, the end of the world had turned her into a harlot. 

Aurora was snapped from her thoughts by an alarm, she bit out a curse and she lifted her axe off the floor, checked her pistol was in her waist badn and ran out into camp.  
"Talk to me Dale," Shane demanded as he and Aurora jogged to the RV both with weapons in hand.  
"Can't tell yet," Dale glared through his binoculars.  
"Is it them?" Amy asked, hopefull, "Are they back?"  
"I'll be damned," Dale smirked.

"What is it?" Aurora asked, mentally decided which weapon to go for, no looter was getting the best of her again.  
"Stolen car would be m guess." Dale answered as the group watched, tense for a fight as a red sports car drove into camp.

Glenn jumped out, his face split into a huge grin.  
"Holy crap," Dale shouted from his RV position, "Turn that damn thing off!"

"I don't know how!" Glenn grinned.

Instantanously the Korean man was bombarded by Amy and Shane.  
"Where are the keys?" Shane snapped, "Would you pop the hood?"

"My sister Andrea?" Amy getting close to Glenn.  
"Would you pop the damn hood please? Pop the damn hoood!" Shane smacked his hand against the car.

Glenn dove in the car poping the hood on request while Amy asked continuosly about her sister. Aurora smiled, almost as happy as Glenn appeared to be as the Korean man told them that everyone was fine.

Aurora watched as her brother and Dale discused the alarm, Dale of course being right and Shane making a drama.  
"Sorry," Glenn apologised, "Got a cool car." he pointed at the car making Aurora grin.  
Runing up her her friend, Aurora threw both arms around the asian, knocking his off blance for a moment before he recovered and hugged her back, blushing childishly at their closeness. The pair stopped their renuion to watch the other car pull in behind them. Andrea jumped our from what appeared to be the back.

"Andrea!" Amy wept as she ran to embrace her sister, "you scared the shit outta' me!"  
Morale's lifted his children happily, Lori gently pulled an emotional Carl to the side, saddened he'd never see his father like that again. Shane and Aurora watched them through sadded eyes.  
"You are a welcome sight," Dale smiled, manly hugging Morale's, "I thought we'd lost you for sure."

"How'd ya'll get out of there anyway?" Aurora asked, leaning against Glenn's new prized possession.  
"New guy," Glenn answered, "He got us out."

"New guy?" Shane asked, genuinely intrigued.

"Hey helicoper boy!" Morale's shouted, still holding his family tight, "come say hello."  
Aurora turned, interested in the 'helicoper boy' who had saved her friends lives. She gasped, her breath forming a solid lump in her throat as Rick shuffled closer to camp. Rick looked up, seeing Aurora first, his face matchign hers in shock as he scanned the rest of camp before seeing his son. He stumbled back abit, gasping back the tears as Carl turned to face him. The boy stared before breaking away from his mother and runing towards Rick, "DAD!" he screamed as father and son flung themselves at each other, almost falling flat to the floor in the moving renioun. Lori followed pratice of her sone and the three embraced tearfully.

Aurora smiled, her lip quivering slightly, seeing the man who had helped to raise her holding the son he thought was dead, with a small whimper she wiped the tear that dare fall away. Glenn watched her, gently wrapping an arm around her shoulder in support and pulling her to him. She smiled hugging him.

The camp watched the three embrace untill Aurora asked the question that had been nagging her since no one else had left the car, "Wheres Merle?"

/

The sky blanketed the camp in black while Rick explained his feelings to the group about walking up in an unfimilar world and expressing his gratitude to Shane for saving his family. If only her knew, Aurora thought bitterly. The group watched as Ed and Shane argued until Shane finally stomped over and stomped out the fire.

"Have you given any thought to Daryl Dixon?" Dale asked, "He wont be very happy that his brother was left behind."

Aurora glared at the camp. Right now she hated them. Merle was like a protector, a brother to her and they just left him to feed the walkers.  
"I'll tell him," T-Dog said, "I dropped the key its on me."

"I cuffed him, that makes him mine." Rick told him.  
"Guys it not a competition," Glenn told them and Aurora, who sat next to him, was happy that he was defending Merle until her continued, "I dont mean to bring race into this but it might sound better coming from the white guy."

"Sound better?" Aurora snapped, the whole group avoided her gaze, "You left a man to die! How dare you be sat excusing your selfs!"

"I did what i did," T-Dog said slowly, "hell if i'm gonna hide from it."

"We could lie," Amy suggested and Aurora barely resisted the urge to kick firewood in her face..barely.

"No we tell the truth," Andrea corrected, "Merle was out of control, something had to be done or he'd have gotten us killed. If Merle got left behind it was nobody's falut but his."

"So you kill him instead?" Aurora snapped, standing up, "Listen to yourselves! You killed a man and you couldn't give a fuck!" She turned starting to stomp away before she was stopped by Ricks voice.

"He was a danger to everyone." Rick said calmly, "He was high and violent."  
Aurora spun on her heel and pointed at the cop, "I knew it would have to be something that rightous Rick had to sort out, still stopping crime when the fucking world has gone to pot! You have know idea what Merle is - was like!" with that she turned away from the group, disgusted and stormed to her tent where she couldn mourn the loss of her friend in peace.

"Word to the wise," Dale said once Aurora had gone, "We're gonna have our hand full when he gets back from this hunt, Aurora is too mad herself to even think about calming Daryl down."  
"I was scared, I ran, I'm not ashamed of it." T-Dog told them  
"There's something between Dixon and Aurora?" Rick asked, obviously not knowing the camp gossip.  
Shane and Andrea snorted.  
"Its complicated." Amy offered.

/

The next morning most of the camp avoided Aurora, knowing that if no one person offered a 'reasonable' explanation for the death of her friend she was punch their lights out. She was leant against the tree, once again thinking when she heard Carl's scream echo as he shouted for her mum and dad.  
Axe in one hand, gun in the other, Aurora raced through the trees catching up to her brother as they ran to the boy. She and the men ran past Carl, Sophia and Jacqui as Lori embraced her son to a small opening in the forest, Aurora passing Daryl her axe as she went and taking a pole from Jim, she figured her father figure would need more protection then herself. They neared the walker, pulling the throat out of a fallen deer, arrows in its hyde, which make Aurora smile, Daryl was near.

They circled the walker as Amy and Andrea came to watch, both looking sick from the view. The walked reared its composed at to gruttaly moan and hiss at the braver camp members before standing and moving towards Rick who promptly smacked it in the face. They took it in turns to smack the once human creature, its growled, skin, bones and flesh squealshing and crunching beneath make-shift weapons until Dale raised the axe and excacuted the walker. The stared at it, taking in what they had done all breathing heavy while Aurora took a mental note that 'pole plus walker head equals messy jeans'.

"Its the first one we've had up here," Dale said, pointing at the remains, "they never come this far up the mountain."  
"There running out of food in the city thats what." Jim added wisely.

The group spun, hearing the cracking of branches and rustling leaves close by, weapons ready as Daryl Dixon popped up from somewhere behind Jim.  
"Oh jeeze," Shane grumbled, lowering his weapon as the men looked at each other nervously.

"Son of a bitch!" Daryl cursed as he got close to them, "Thats my deer."  
The men moved away from him though Aurora stayed still, close to her returned blonde.  
"Look at it all nawed on by this filthy," Daryl snapped kicking the body of the walker, "disease bearing," Kick "motherless," Kick "poxy bastard!" another kick.  
"Calm down son thats not helping," Dale told the aggitated hunter.

"What'd you know about it old man?" Daryl asked, striding towards Dale and away from Aurora, Shane raised his gun as a 'Daryl barrier', "You take that stupid hat and go back to golden pond." he snapped turning away.

"I've been tracking this deer for miles," Daryl grumbled as he pulled an arrow from the deer, his eyes racking of his Aurora's much missed form as he did so , "Was gon drag it back to camp, cook us up some venison."

The surivivors glanced at him awkardly, wondering how to break the news of his brother.

"What do you think?" Daryl asked, "You think we could cut around this chewed up part right here?" he asked looking up at the men.

"Couldn't risk that." Shane told him, resting his gun on his shoulders and his hands on his gun.  
"'S a damn shame," Daryl said, "I got some squrriel about a dozen or so, that'll have to do." he told them watching the men. 

"Yay, I've missed squrriel." Aurora mumbled saracastically to herself but not has quietly as she had intended.  
"'bout as much as ya missed me?" Daryl smirked as he turned his head to talk to her.  
"Nope," Aurora popped the P, "I missed squrriel more."  
Daryl smirked at her, winking so that her brother couldn't see.

"Oooh god," Amy moaned as the Walkers head started to bite, Andrea led her away.  
"Come on people what the hell?" Daryl asked, taking aim with his crossbow and shooting the walker in the eye, before putting his foot of its fore head and ripping out the arrow, "It's got be the brain, don ya'll know nothin?"

They all watched silently as Daryl stormed back to camp, shouting for his brother to come our so that they could make stew. Aurora followed Shane and Rick slowly, knowing that this was going to be painfull to watch.  
"Daryl," Shane said walking up behind the lean man, "Slow up abit a need to walk to ya'."  
Dayl sighed but stopped all the same, getting the impression he wasn't going to like what he was about to hear and hoping that the cop wasn't going to start a fight about Aurora, at least not with her there.  
"About wha?" he asked, as the cop approached him rubbing his face slightly.  
"About Merle." Shane told him simply as the other camper's, including Aurora stopped to watch, "there's a -ah, problem in Atlanta." his hands and hip reunited again.

Daryl looked around at the people circling Shane and himself, he stared at Aurora who's saddedn gaze almost broke his heart, not that he'd admit it -ever.

"He dead?" Daryl asked.

"Not sure," Shane asked and Aurora's head snapped up, were they going to lie to Daryl?  
"He either is or he ain't," he circled Shane.

"Theres no easy way to say this," Rick said stepping towards them, "So I'll just say it."  
"Who're you?" Daryl snapped.

"Rick Grimes." Rick told him, his police flair coming to the front.

"Rick Grimes," Daryl mocked, "You got something you wanna tell me?"  
"Your brother was a danger to us all so I handcuffed him to a roof, he's still there." Rick explained professionally, Aurora glared at her friends back.  
Daryl turned away from them and rubbed his eyes with his inner wrist, "Let me process this, you saying you handcuffed my brother to a roof? And you left him there?" he shouted at Rick.  
"Yeah," Rick nodded pathetically.

Daryl glared before, with the swiftness of a hunter throwing the squrriels and Rick and moving towards him, Aurora gasped as her brother tackled Daryl to the ground before he could reach Rick. Daryl pulled out his knife, "Dont!" Aurora shouted to him but her plea fell on death ears as he charged at Rick, slashing at his face forwards and then back like a trained martial artist. Rick and Shane grabbed him, Shane pulling him into a choke.  
"Chokehold is illegal!" Daryl growled.  
"File a complaint," Shane replied snidely, still pulling Daryl down.

Once the ex-officers had patronised him, they let Daryl go who listened to T-Dog explaining about the dropped key. Aurora stood silently, wishing to rush to Daryl and hold him and stop the anguished expressions but knowing that was not what he needed.  
Daryl stood and began to walk off, "That supposed to make me feel better it dont."  
"Maybe this will," T-Dog said, "I chained the door to the roof so the geeks couldn't get in at him with a padlock."

Aurora watched Daryl's apiined expression before the words suck in, "You what?" She shouted at T-Dog.  
"I told them last night, you'd already stormed off." T-Dog explained as Aurora took a step towards him, ready to smack his face in, her brother wrapped and arm around her waist and lifted her off the ground easily, a tatic Rick used to use to stop he and Shane fighting. Daryl didn't even spare them a glance.

"Thats got to count for something." Rick approached Daryl.

Daryl sniffed, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand before tunring back to face everyone, Aurora still wriggling in Shane's grasp.  
"Hell wit all a ya'll!" He snapped, his arm swinging. Aurora stopped wiggling, though Shane didn't release her.  
"Tell me where he is," Daryl said his voice seemingly close to emotional, "So i can go get 'im."

"He'll show you." Lori's voice came from infront of the RV, the group stared at her, "isn't that right?"

Rick looked awkard for a moment, before nodding, "I'm goin' back."  
Shane put his sister back on the ground as Daryl stalked off, Aurora followed him.

/

"So, I hear you're goin on a trip," Aurora said quietly from her position in the doorway of the Dixon tent, Daryl sat inside, counting his arrows and tapping his foot in the hopes he could get his anger down slightly before leaving with the stupid cop.  
"You knew?" Daryl asked after a while of silence.  
Aurora shook her head, her hair falling down her back, though Daryl didnt see this with his back to her, "No," She said quietly, "They told me that he was dead."  
Daryl said nothing nor made any indication that he had heard her. Aurora sighed softly, "Just be carefull." she whispered before leaving the tent and going to sit by the fire. Daryl glared at the other side of the tent, his pull towards the woman causing a conflict of interest with his brother. Daryl shook his head, his brother came first and once Merle was back then his attentions could go back to Aurora.

With that he went to prepare near the fire.

Shane and Rick approached the fire not long later, agruing over Rick's decision to go.  
"Why would you risk your life for a douche bag like Merle Dixon?" Shane snapped as he follwed Rick.  
"Hey," Daryl cut in, "Choose your words more carefully." he pointed an arrow at Shane.  
"Oh I did," Shane resorted, "Douchebags what I meant, Merle Dixon, guy wouldn't give you a glass a water if your were dying of thirst."  
"We left him like and animal caught in trap, thats no way for anything to die, let alone a human being." Rick told him and Aurora smiled, maybe Rick was how she remembered him afterall.

Daryl sat beside Aurora.  
"So you and Daryl? Thats your big plan?" Lori asked her husband.  
Rick turned to Glenn who looked away, "Ah come on!" taking off his hat and smoothing his hair back as Rick asked him for his help.  
"Thats great so you're gonna risk three men?" Shane scoffed.  
"Four." T-Dog corrected from behind Daryl and Aurora.  
Daryl glanced back at him before messing with his arrows, "My day just gets better and better don' it?"  
"You see anybody else here stepping up? Save your brothers crack ass." T-Dog asked.  
"Why you?" Daryl asked, focused on cleaning his arrows.  
"Wouldn't even being to understand, you dont speak my language." T-Dog told him. 

"I could -" Aurora started.  
"No." Daryl, Shane, Rick and Glenn snapped in unison, Aurora pouted and crossed her arms.  
"Thats four." Rick said, his hand on his hips, must be a police trait.  
"Its not just four, you're puttin' all of us at risk, just know that Rick," Shane pointed at him, "Come on, you saw that walker. It was here, it was in camp! Their moving out of the cities they come back we need every able body we got and we need 'em to protect camp."  
Rick stared at him, "Seems to me what you really need most here is more guns."

The group debated the issues of guns and eventually, like Aurora knew he would, Rick won out the conversation and the men dispersed to make arrangements. While Rick and T-Dog bargined for the boltcutters from Dale, Aurora sat in the back of the van while Glenn reversed it. Daryl was in the back with her.  
"Don' even think about tryin' ta sneak with us." Daryl snapped at her.  
Aurora said nothing but simply closed her eyes as she leant back against the truck wall.  
Daryl stared at her trying to figure her out.  
"Bring 'em back?" she asked quietly.  
Daryl raised his eyebrow, Aurora opened one eye to watch him.  
"Merle, Glenn, T-Dog, Rick," Aurora listed, "You."  
"Ya'll not getting rid o me that easy." Daryl told her.  
Glenn sat in the front seat tryng not to ruin whatever moment they might be having, if the Dixon's had moments.

Aurora smiled at him before standing.  
"Remember to come back alive." She told him turning to jump out of the van until she was spun around, her back pressed agains the van wall she had been leant against. He pushed his lips against her's hungrily having not tasted her lips in days, he pushed his toungue into her mouth moaning when she returned the kiss with amplified lust. Glenn, who was still sat in the front seat, sat bolt straight not daring to move incase he made a sound and distracted the pair from the toungue war, no doubt Dixon would kick his ass for that. 

They pulled away and Aurora smiled breathlessly at him, he gave her a smalle smirk back before moving away from her and letting her jump down and out of the truck to stand, bright red and blushing, next to Dale and Jim. Daryl turned and walked towards the front of the van, Glenn moved to the side as Daryl sounded the horn with his foot.  
"Come in lets go!" He snapped.  
Shane gave Rick some bullets and Rick got into the front seat after nodding his farewell to Aurora. She smiled sadly as the engine started untill she felt something hard and solid colide with her forehead, through instinct her hand shot out to catch the offending object before it fell to the ground. She glared at her fist then opened her hand slowly and smiled at the small conker in the palm of her hand. Looking up at Daryl who was stood about to close the van door, Aurora smiled before blowing him a kiss and mouthing that she would get him back. He smirked and pulled the van door closed.

**Aaaaand done! That was a long one! As usual review pleeeeeease! Does Aurora die/get bitten or survive the camp attack? Thoughts?**

**- BrianaMichele: Glad you loved it and I plan on stealing your word and making someone in the fic using it =P**

**- Lucy Freebird: Thank you every much, i think he has a sweet side, deeeeep under his scowl :)**

**- TheImmortalChaplin: Ah siblings, canna even get along after the apocolypse.**

**- Powergirl24: That is a HUUUGE ego boost! :)**

**- ErisandDysomnia: Glenn = Awesome! Reading your review gave me a big fat smile on face in the middle of school...people thought i had gone more insane! **

**- Rickii101: Glad you liked it! Thank you so much! :) **

**- constantlylost: Glad you can speak okay now :) I'm glad you love them :) sorry this one took longer but its loads bigger! I love Merle reactions too! Why it kill you? Please tell me? :(**

**- viktorskrumpet: I agree, poor Glenn, i do bully him. I seem to be bomarding you with visuals - hope thats a good thing!**

**- Kakashi-luver: You should share him with me so I can write about him *cough* tie him to my bed *cough* **


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks for everyone who reviews/ed, please continue to do so! **

/(With Daryl)\

The van pulled up on the tracks.  
"He better be okay," Daryl said, his eyes flashing dangerously, "'S my only word on the matter."  
"I told you the geeks can't get at him," T-Dog told him, leaning against the wall of the truck, "Only thing getting through that door, is us."

Daryl wiped his face but gave no reply as Glenn stopped the car an turned to them, "We walk from here."  
Daryl jumped out of the back, followed closely by T-Dog as the group started their way into the walker infested city.

They pushed through some chain fencing.

"Merle first or guns?" Rick asked turning slightl to face them.  
"Merle," Daryl snapped instantly, "we ain't even havin' this conversation." he walked ahead of the other, crossbow raised.  
"We are." Rick declared darkly before looking at Glenn, "You know the geography its your call."

"Merle's closer," the korean told them as they jogged, "The guns would mean doubling back, Merle first."

It didn't take them long to get into the department store or for Daryl to kill the female walker on the first floor. They ran up the small stairway leading to the roof, Daryl waited impatiently as the chain was cut and the small recuse group flooded onto the roof. The lean blond sprinted, hoping to get to his brother but instead shouting in dispair at only finding part of him.

/

/(With Aurora)\

Down in the quarry, Aurora sat with a small smile watching her brother teach her god-son how to catch frogs, though it seemed they weren't having any luck until Shane dropped into the water with a bucket, shouting as he splashed water at Carl, who smiled more then any boy surrounded by death ever could.  
Aurora smiled as Andrea and Jacqui approached herself, Carol and Amy at the lake side.  
"I'm begining to question the divition of labour here." Jacqui said, glancing over at the still shouting Shane and Carl, who lifted his empty net disappointedly, "Can someone explain to me how the women wound up doing all the work?" she continued.

Amy smirked, "The world ended, didn't you get the memo?"

Carol glanced over at her caveman of a husband sat with the awaiting laundry, "Just the way it is."

Andrea glanced over at Aurora as she scrubbed at some clothes, "Doing Daryl's washing now?" she asked coyly.  
Aurora sighed ready for the onslaught, "Its times like this I wish Shane and Rick would have let me keep my itching powder stash."  
Amy smiled, "Oooooh, your Daryl's little house wife!" she giggled happily.  
"We live in tents not houses." Aurora mumbled smartly.  
"But you don't deny it." Jacqui smirked.  
Aurora glared at all of them, "Why must you delve into my personal life?"

"Because nothing is personal anymore hunny," Jacqui smiled, "So whats going on."  
The girls all watched her expectantly making Aurora sigh once more, why must they ask he when her brother was so close and she couldn't escape?

"I think we're a thing," she mumbled scrubing at one of her t-shirts.  
"You think?" Carol asked softly not wanting to upset the woman.  
"We never really asked or agreed on anything, but he told me it wasn't a spur of a moment thing." Aurora explained.

"He did?" Andrea asked, eyebrow raised in shock.  
"In his own country boy way."

"What else is country about him?" Andrea asked, waggling her eyebrows suggestively, "Does the fresh air actually do any good?"  
Amy gasped in embarrassment at her sisters behaviour while Carol and Jacqui smiled and stared at Aurora expectantly.

"Well he certainly was a handfull," She smiled, focusing on the shirt in her hand rather then looking at ther friends as the exploded into giggles.  
"Well if your neck was anything to go by it was a busy night," Jacqui smiled, "end of the world and you're shaking up."  
"He was good with his mouth.." she trailed off as the woman started to laugh again.

For a while, Aurora was spared from the interrogations as the women focused on the task at hand.  
"I do miss my maytech," Carol said eventually, ringing out some clothes in her hand.  
"I miss my satnav," Andrea told them, scrubbing at the clothing on her knee.

"I miss my coffee maker," Jacqui said, almost dreamily, ringing out some clothes, "with that gold drip filter and built in grinder honey."  
"My computer," Amy pouted, "Texting."  
"I miss my laptop," Aurora thought for a moment, "Writing."  
"I miss my vibrator." Andrea admitted, all the women looked at her smiling cheekily and laughing.

Carol glanced around, "Me too." she admitted. The women burst into laugher, Aurora smiled big tough Ed was probably mad because he was lacking in the bedroom.

"Whats so funny?" Ed's voice came from behind them. Aurora scowled, she hated that guy.  
"Just swapping war stories Ed," Andrea smiled at him before the women awkardly started to return to the task at hand.  
Ed took a drag from his cigerette, stepping behind the women, Andrea sighed.  
"Problem Ed?" Aurora asked the man, his presense annoying her even faster then Lori managed to.  
"None that concerns you." He said, probably thinking of himself as a 'hardman', "You wanna focus on your work, this ain't no comedy club."  
The girls said nothing but Andrea and Aurora exchanged looks.

After a while Andrea stood, "Ed, tell ya what," she said approaching him, "You dont like how your laundry's done? You are welcome to pitch in an do it yourself." she threw a shirt at him.  
He threw it back, hitting her in the face and Aurora was on her feet within the heartbeat, ready to take this guy out.  
"Ain't my job missy." He said putting the cigerette in his mouth.  
"Andrea dont." Amy warned as Aurora stepped up next to the oldest sister.  
"What is you job Ed?" Andrea asked.  
"Sitting on your ass, smokin'?" Aurora finished. 

"Well it aint having to listen to not smart-mouthed bitches," he guestured to Carol, "Come on lets go."

Carol stood.  
"She doesn't have to go anywhere with you Ed." Aurora snapped, vemon dripping from her voice.  
"None of ya busniess," He snapped, "Come on now." he snapped at Carol again, "you heard me."  
Andrea attempted to stop Carol from leaving.  
"hey dont think I wont knock you on your ass jus cus your some college educated bitch, alright." Ed snapped at Andrea then turned to Carol, "Now you come on now or your gonna regret it later."  
"So she can show up with fresh brusies later Ed?" Jacqui asked, almost heartbroken, "Yeah we've seen them."

They agrued with each other untill Ed smacked Carol across her face, the girls pulled her away as Ed tried to get at her. Aurora pushed herself infront of the girls and Ed, pulling her arm back to punch him in the face but her lack of space gave her no momentum and thus the strike lacked the desired affect of him falling back. Ed's head snapped to the side before it snapped back, his fist following, smacking Aurora in the eye as he went to grab his wife again. With an undignified gasp, Aurora ungracefully fell onto her backside and watched relieved as her brother appeared, dragging Ed away from them. She felt Jacqui's comforting hands on her face, trying to acess the damage when she registed Carol and Andrea screaming for Shane to stop.

Jumping to her feet and ignoring the protests of her friends and sore ankle, Aurora ran to her brother ready to stop him when he pulled back. Aurora glanced down at the bloodied resemblence of Ed, he would hurt in the morning.

"You put your hand on your wife, your little girl, my sister or anybody else in this camp one more time I will not stop next time, do you hear me?" Shane growled pulling Ed's face up to his, "I'll beat ya to death Ed," he punched him again.

"Stop it Shane!" Aurora pleaded, feeling Carol's distress.  
He stood and kicked Ed. Carol ran over, apologising to her husband. Aurora watched as the other women steped away, afraid, from her brother. He walked off and Aurora followed dutifully. Shane stopped and turned to his little sister wincing in anger at the sight he was greeted with. The side's of her neck remained a sickly yellow, from both the attack and her night with the youngest Dixon, her right eye was already darkening into blotchy purple and leaning to the side as not to rest pressure on her injured ankle. Leaning up, Aurora kissed her brothers cheek softly.

/

Aurora had been sat on the RV roof with Dale when the elderly man had nudged her shoulder slightly. WIth Dale, Aurora walked up to were they could Jim. As they walked, not wanted to move to fast under the blare of the sun, Dale turned to Aurora and gave her a small smile, "You know, if you were in trouble you could tell me."  
Aurora barked a laugh, "You said it like i'm a teenager with drugs."  
He smiled, "Yes I suppose you're right, what I meant is with Daryl, or your brother, we can always make more room in the RV."  
Aurora stopped. Dale turned to face her, worried he had upset her. She smiled before stepping closer and hugging him, "Thank you Dale," she pulled away, "I not in trouble, even though I look ive been sleeping under an earthquake but I am fine."  
Dale smiled and nodded before they continued up the hill. They saw Jim close, digging like he depended on it, they slowly approached him.  
"Jim?" Dale asked, "You okay?"  
Jim ignored them and carried on digging.  
"Keep this up and you'll keel over out here," Dale warned but was once again ignored. Aurora glanced between them, worried. "Drink some water at least?" Dale asked.  
Jim glanced up at the pair but said nothing. Aurora glanced at Dale once more before they turned away from the focused almost crazied man.

The brunette approached camp with Dale, she allowed herself a small smile when she saw the camps happy spark at the catch of fish that the sisters had caught. Andre turned to them as they reached everyone.  
"Hey Dale," she called over, "whens the last time you oiled those line reels, they are a disgrace."

"I, er," Dale said, "I dont wanna alarm anyone." Shane stood up at this.  
"We may have a bit of a problem." Aurora told them, as Dale told them as he indicated to Jim, at the top of the hill, still digging relentlessly. 

The camp approached Jim, Dale first with Shane and Aurora just behind him. After a while of watching him dig Shane finally spoke, "Hey Jim, why don you hold up just give me a second?"  
"What do you want?" Jim grumbled anooyed as he pushed his shovel into the ground. Aurora watched concerned as her brother and Jim argued.  
"Jim," she said finally catching the camps attention, how could she not with her shoulders up being mostly bruise, "you're scaring the children."  
Shane and Jim argued over the shovel more, Aurora growled at Jim ignoring her. Jim snapped, shouting at Shane before swinging the shovel at Shane who ducked and tackled Jim to the ground. He pinned Jim down, trying to calm down the man. Aurora listened sadly as Jim cryed over his family, confessing his survival came from their death.

/(With Daryl)\

They stood on the roof almost silent save for Daryl's deep breaths as he leaned down, handkercief on the floor as he lifted his brother's dismembered hand by the finger, "Blade musta been to dull for the handcuffs." he examined the hand, "Ain't that a bitch."  
He wrapped the hand almost lovingly, the other three men looking around awkwardly. Glenn grimaced as Merle's hand was stuffed. Daryl truned away from the men again, explaining his brother must have used his belt for a touriquet or there would have been more blood. Rick raised an eyebrow, hick must be more educated then he'd given him credit for. T-Dog fetched Dale's tools, knowing the old man would kill him if he didn't. The group followed the blood into the building .  
"Merle, you in here?" Daryl shouted as the group decended the stairs, weapons raised.

The men stalked through the hallways slowly after Daryl had shot the jawless female zombie. They looked at the walkers on the floor, "Took out thses two sonabitches." Darl mumbled, "One handed."  
"Toughest asshole ever met my brother," Daryl told them as he tightened his crossbow, "feed him a hammer, crap out nails."  
"Any man can pass out from blood loss," Rick said, raising his gun and stepping forwards, "No matter how tough he is."  
The rest of them followed the ex-officers.

The men followed the blood splattered tiles.  
"Merle!" Daryl shoouted once more.  
"Were not alone here," Rick warned, "remember?"  
"Screw that," Daryl snapped, "he's bleedin' out you said so yourself."

Daryl moved forward, his nose twitching at the heavy smell in the air as they moved forward to the blood covered gas oven.  
"Whats that burnt stuff?" Glenn asked from behind Rick and Daryl.  
"Skin." Rick told them darkly, "he caquaterised the stump."  
Glenn barely held back the vomit.  
"Told you he was tough," Daryl pointed out to Rick, "No body can kill Merle but Merle."  
"I wouldn't take that on faith he's lost alot of blood." Rick put down the iron.  
"Didnt stop him from bustin' out of this death trap." Daryl spoke almost proudly as the stalked over to the broken window.  
"He left the building?" Glenn asked shocked, "Why the hell would he do that?"  
"He's out there alone as far as he knows, doin' what he gotta do, survivin'." Daryl told them moving away from the window.

"You call that surviving?" T-Dog asked, "Wonderin' ou tin the streets? What are his odds out there?"  
"No worse then being handcuffed and left to rot," Daryl snapped, "by you sorry pricks." He stepped closer to Rick, his blue eyes flashing dangerously, "You couldn't kill 'im, aint so worried bout some dumb dead bastard."  
"What about a thousand dead bastards?" Rick asked, steppign closer to the blonde man.  
"You do what you want, im gon get 'im." Daryl snapped moving away.  
"Daryl," Rick stopped him with a hand on the hunters chest, "Wait."

"Get your hands off me!" Daryl snapped moving back, "Cant stop me!"  
"I dont blame you, he's family I get that, I went through hell to get mine, I know exactley how you feel, he cant get far with that injury, we can help check a few blocks around but only if we keep a level head." Rick spoke calmly.  
Daryl stared at the police man, knowing he was right, "I can do that."  
"Good, cus I dont wan to be the one tellin' Aurora you got your ass killed for being stupid." Rick told him, Daryl wanted to smirk at this but his anger at his brothers situation stopped him from doing so.  
T-Dog shook his head, "Only if we get those guns first, I'm not strolling the streets of Atlanta with just good intentions."

"You're not doing this alone," Rick snapped sometime later, he was stood in what seemed to have been an office, T-Dog, Gleen and Daryl all sat around him.  
"Even I know its a bad idea," Daryl agreed, "An' i dont even like you much."  
"Its a good idea," Glenn protested, "Kay just hear me out."  
Glenn explained his plan to the other men, using the white board to show his military like strategy. The men sat, impressed at the young mans planning skills.  
"Hey kid, what chu do before all this?" Daryl asked.  
"Delivered pizza's." Glenn told them simply before frowning, "why?"

Daryl and Glenn climbed down into the alley soon after their planning. They hid behind some bins, Glenn infront with Daryl behind him.  
"You got some balls for a chinaman." Daryl said offhandedly.  
"Im Korean." Glenn told him, eyes rolling.  
"Whatever." Daryl grumbled, waiting untill he was needed.

Moments later, Daryl heard footsteps coming down the alley towards him, focused, not dragging like you would expect a walker too. He jumped up aiming his crossbow the boy.  
"Wowo! Dont hurt me!" the guy pleaded.  
"I'm looking for my brother, he's hurt real bad, you seen him?" Daryl's weapons didn't waver as the boy started to shout. Daryl hissed to him to shut and answer him, the continued to shout. Daryl swung his bow, smacking the boy around the face, he fell back Daryl leaning down and covering his mouth telling him to shut up. Daryl groaned as he was pushed to the floor, being kicked and beaten with a bat. He swung up once his attackers moved, shooting one in the back side as they escaped. Daryl cursed as Rick and T-Dog piled into the alley, rushing at the boy trying to beat him. Rick caught him stopping Daryl while T-Dog stopped the boy from leaving. Grabbing the boy, guns and hat they ran down the alley. Daryl cursed as he ran, he had lost the chink. Aurora was going to kill him.

/(With Aurora)\

Aurora sighed, leaning against one of the trees inside the camp boundries. She didn't agree with the treatment of Jim, they had tied him to a tree, he didn't deserve that. Closing her eyes, Aurora attempted to nap standing agains the tree but the suffocating heat and her own mind would not let her. She had know Jim had inklings, knowing somethings before they happened, his digging, what could onl be discribed as graves only succeeded in deepening her concerns. What had he seen that could have made him react in such a way?  
Aurora sighed to herself, playing with the conker in her hand. She missed Daryl, she missed the others also but none as much as she missed her blonde. Aurora scowled at herself, since when was Daryl hers? Blowing her hair out of her face, Aurora opened her eyes to glare down at her ankle, fucker still hurt from the fall.

/(With Daryl)\

"Jesus man," T-Dog huffed, "What the hell happened out there?"  
"I told you." Daryl snapped, "This little turd and his douchebad friends came outta nowhere and jumped me, took Glenn coulda taken Merle too."  
"What kinda hick name is that?" The boy asked cockily, "I wouldn't name my dog Merle."  
Daryl dove at the boy, Rick stopping him mid jump.  
"Daryl back off," Rick snapped pushing the young Dixon back, "Aurora would be pissed at your if she could see how you are behaving."

Daryl scoffed, knowing that Aurora would argee with him anyway, it wasn't like she could control him anyway...unless she flashed that smile of hers. Daryl shook his head, he couldn't get distracted now. Stepping forward he drug around in Glenn's bag, "Wanna see that what happened to the last guy that pissed me off?" He growled, throwing Merle's hand at the boy. The boy jumped back, scared to his wits end when Daryl jumped on him, threatening his feet, Rick diving once more to pull the enraged hunter back.

Daryl and Rick took the boy back to his gang, trying to negociate the return of Glenn. Unfortunatley it didnt go well, but since when does anything since the dead started to walk the earth once more. They went back to their base office.  
"You sure," Daryl stalked around the desk were the guns were laid, "Those are worth more then gold, gold wont protect your family, put food on your table. You wanna give that up for that kid?"  
"What you willing to bet on this? Could be more then those guns, could be your life. You willing to risk that for some kid?" Daryl asked him as Rick messed with the gun.  
"The life I have I owe to him, I was nobody to Glenn, just some idiot stuck in a tank, he could have walked away but he didn't, neither will I." Rick told them, his chivarly coming to the fore.  
"You gonna hand the guns over?" Daryl asked.  
Rick shook his head, "I didn't say that."  
"Theres nothing keeping you two here, you should get out head back to camp," he glanced up at Daryl, "back to Aurora."  
"And tell your family what?" T-Dog sighed, stroking his bold head.  
"I told her i'd bring ya'll back, she'll castrate me otherwise." Daryl smirked reaching over for a gun, Rick suppressed the rising grin.

The group traveled back to the gangs hideout, gagged hostage with them. Daryl watched the situation tensely, knowing one shot would stop him himself getting back to Aurora, that was until an elderly woman wondered into the line of fire. After finding a unharmed Glenn hiding upstairs with a bunch of old codgers, Daryl was offically bored of Atlanta and its bullshit.  
Together they walked back to where they had left the van.  
"Admit it," Glenn grumbled, "You only came for the hat."  
"Don't tell anybody." Rick smirked.  
"Given away half our guns and ammo, old farts gonna die soon anyway, seriously how long you think they got?" Daryl grumbled as he walked, crossbow rested on his shoulder.  
"How long to any of us?" Rick mumbled cryptically. The four paused, staring at the empty space infront of them. 

"Oh my god." Glenn breathed.  
"Where the hells our van?" Daryl glared at the space infront of them.  
"We left it right there, who would take it?" Glenn asked, hysteria seeping into his voice.  
"Merle." Rick said simply.

Daryl looked down, realisation hitting him, "He's gon be takin' some vengence back to camp."

The four ran back to camp, all the while Daryl cursed in his head, he knew something bad was coming, he just hoped if his brother got to camp then he'd remember that Aurora had nothing to do with his being left behind and not harm her. At one point during their unwanted, unexpected jog, Daryl ended up beside Rick, who kept opening his mouth as if to say something.  
"Got some thin' you wanna say ta me?" Daryl snapped, his breath deep and he jogged.  
"Just wanna know your gonna look after her," Rick told him just looking ahead as he jogged, "I helped to practically raised her, if you hurt her, i'll tell the rest a camp you'd been bitten."  
Daryl snorted, slightly impressed by the mans nerve, "Ain't got nuthin' to worry about, I told 'er i'd bring ya'll back an I am aint I?"

The jump gave a collective jump in shock as high pitched screams and wails echoed through the woods, their feet pounding against the floor as they ran faster. The screams grew loudier as they got closer in the harsh realization that their friends were dying. Daryl cursed, if anything had happened to her -no! He pushed those thoughts out of his head. She be fine, she had to be.

The group floodied into camp, shooting at the living dead that feasted upon their friends. Daryl smacked walkers with the butt of his gun as the walkers were finished. Daryl spun around, his eyes frantically scaning the screaming and the dead as Carl ran to his fathers arms. Daryls head whipped to the side, facing Shane, "Where is she?" he bellowed.  
The focused, alive memembers of the group turned to him.  
"Aurora?" He shouted. Shane jumped up, shouting his sisters name.

Daryl turned, pushing through the piling bodies, hoping she wasn't there but wanting to find her. 

"Daryl! Shane! Over here!" Glenn's voice came from beside the Rv. Daryl sprinted over, Shane and Dale just behind them. Glenn jumped out of the way as Daryl barreled into where the asian man had been stood. The blond crouched infront of Aurora putting his hands on her face. She was sat up, leant with her back against the Rv, gun in one hand on the floor, axe lay close to her. In the dark Daryl could see her eyes closed, her head titled to the side, but he couldn't see the extent of her injuries or if she was even breathing.

"Aurora." He snapped, moving one of his hands down to her shoulder and shaking slightly. Shane shook his head, "No, come on, wake-up." he whispered. Glenn stood just behind them watching as Daryl shook the limp form of his girlfriend.  
"I swear Aurora if you dont wake up right now.." he shook her again, "If you don't wake up you wont know that I brought them back."  
His hands found her face once more, stroking her hair away and caressing the side on her face. Shane sat, one knee raised, his elbow on his knee and his face pushed inside his elbow.

"Guys.." Glenn breathed, "Her hand just twitched."

**Another long one! Review please!**

**- ErisandDysomnia: I'm glad you like my Daryl ;)**

**- TheImmortalChaplin: Glad you enjoyed it, heres another long one!**

**- Lucy Freebird: hope this got you excited again :)**

**- Inferno: You have no idea how much your review made me smile! :) I had a silent stalker, i think that makes me happier then it should!**

**- Rickii101: You'll have to wait and see ;)**

**- constantlylost: Why do I keep killing you? *is worried***

**- Powergirl24: Hope this is another good chapter for you :)**

**- viktorskrumpet: I'm glad you like their chemistry, i try really hard to keep him in character! :)**

**- Kakashi-luver: untill i've mastered my plan to kill him ;)**

**- Hime4life: Glad you think so! :)**

**- ShiveringTree: haha I am! :) **


	9. Chapter 9

**This is a bit of a filler chapter – mostly because I got reviews that made me fear for my life…**

"Guys.." Glenn breathed, "Her hand just twitched."

Shane's face left his elbow as he and Daryl looked back at Aurora's hand, the one closest to the gun, as just like Glenn had said, it twitched once more.  
"Was she bitten?" Dale asked from behind Glenn and Daryl.  
"We don't know…" Shane whispered, leaning over to gently push a lock of her hair behind her ear.

Daryl's hands flashed to her face once more, one hand gently holding her cheek while the other slipped around to hold the back of her head. Shane's gaze flashed up to Daryl as the hunters hand snapped away from Aurora head as though he had been bit. The group stared at Daryl's blood covered hand.  
"No, no!" He hissed, his hands finding her face once more smearing her cheek with blood, "Come on wake up." He held her face, leaning close to her. 

"You might not want to get too close-" Dale began to warn the blond.  
"Fuck off old man!" Daryl shouted his gaze snapping around to glare at the old man, Glenn stepped forwards, ready to drag Dale away to safety if needed, "Aint nothing wrong wi' 'er!" he turned, glaring at all the miserable faces, "there aint!" 

A sore, cracked voice croaked out from beside him, "Quit…fucking…shouting…dick."  
Daryl's head snapped to the face, still held somewhat delicately in the hunter's coarse hands. Aurora gave him a weak smile seeing his attentions on her, her eyes opened only slightly.  
None of the men surrounding the couple had any objections as Daryl rushed forwards, smashing his lips against Aurora's his arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her close to him. He pulled away slowly, his hands moving to her hips and his forehead resting against hers. Aurora sighed when he pulled away, the moisture on her cheeks telling her that she had scared the hunter more than she ever thought possible.

"Were you bit?" Dale's voice came from somewhere from behind Daryl, though Aurora couldn't see him.  
"Look old man I told you to f-" Daryl growled, though he never turned or moved away from Aurora.  
"We need to know." Glenn said simply, cutting of the redneck.  
To stop the building rant from Daryl, that Aurora knew was coming because her lover's arms tensed, the brunette gently pressed her lips to his.  
"Not while I'll was awake." Aurora admitted, wincing as she sat up but smiled when she felt a large, and somewhat sweaty, hand take hold of hers.

Aurora glanced over at her brother, who ran his thumb along the top of her hand.  
"We need to check you haven't been bitten." Glenn told Aurora glumly.  
"She aint been!" Daryl growled against Aurora's lips, not turning to look at Glenn or Dale.  
"You're probably right, otherwise you wouldn't be intact, but Aurora we need to check and look at your head." Dale spoke calmly, as not to aggravate Daryl further.

Aurora leant forward when she felt Shane's large hand on her back, Daryl glared at the ex-cop but that was nothing strange. She gave a harsh breath as her brother, not to delicately, jabbed at the top of her head which succeeded in intensifying Daryl's glare.  
"You head if fine, just a flesh wound." Shane sighed with relief.  
"You a doctor now?" Daryl snapped at him.  
"Just trained, I'm an officer," Shane shot back, "Would you take Aurora back to her tent and check her for bites?"  
Both Aurora and Daryl raised an eyebrow at Shane but neither had the effort to bring the matter up. Daryl nodded, slipping his hands underneath her think form and rising to stand lifted Aurora. She sighed, her head throbbing. Moving one hand, Daryl gently nudged her head into the crook of his neck, mumbling for her not to look as he put his hand back and made his way through the camp, making sure to keep Aurora high and away from the corpses.

Lying her down on the makeshift bed that he had claimed her on all those nights ago, Daryl turned to zip the tent close so that they could not be intruded upon by the living or otherwise. Turning back to his lover, the hunter smirked seeing Aurora with her arms trapped by the shirt that was stuck over her face, giving him a view of her chest.  
"Canna even beat a shirt?" Daryl smirked as he sat beside her, "What use are you?"  
He chuckled hearing the muffled 'I can kick your ass' before gently pulling her shirt over her head.

Crouching over her, so that he was hovering over her hips, Daryl ran his coarse hand s over her smooth stomach and sides, claiming to examine for bite marks but enjoying feeling his Aurora back in his grip. Aurora rolled her shoulders enjoying the sensations Daryl was giving her, she opened her tired eyes to Daryl's glaring on just above hers, his hands planted on either side of his head. Aurora lay there, wondering what she could have done to upset him so.  
"Your eye." He stated simply.  
"Err..emm.." Aurora mumbled, looking anywhere but at Daryl, who seethed above her.  
"Who. Hit. You?" He growled, his faced inches above hers.  
"Daryl it doesn't matter real-" Aurora started.  
"Don't fuck with me!" Daryl snapped getting in her face so that their noses pressed against each other.  
"Ed." Aurora whimpered slightly scared of the volatile nature she knew Daryl possessed being directed at her.

Daryl made a move to jump back, obviously wanted to go and rip Ed's ugly face off, until Aurora grabbed fistfuls of his vest and pulled him back down until the blond ended up lay on top of the young woman.  
"Don't," She whispered against his lips, which rested just above hers, as he tensed to move again, "Theres no need, the Walkers got him, he's dead." 

Daryl stilled for the moment before placing one of his hands back beside of her head, the other resting on her cheek as his rough thumb gently caressed the purple bruising under her eye.  
"Fucker's lucky they go ta him fore I did," he grumbled darkly, "Why'd he do this?"  
"He hit Carol so when he tried to get at her through the girls I got in his way, but I didn't have as much room as he did ta swing a good 'un." Aurora told her lover somewhat bashful that she hadn't been able to dodge Ed. 

"He hurt your leg too?" Daryl asked remembering Aurora saying something about a dodgy leg.  
"I twisted it as I fell." Aurora told him, "Made me fall back against the RV."  
"I thought.." Daryl started, looking down at his girlfriend, "I thought – heck doesn't matter what I thought why didn't you get up?" Daryl snapped at her.

Aurora graced him with a small smile, she knew what Daryl had been unwilling to say, he thought she had died and worse was probably going to come back and snack on him, she knew he cared and it warmed her heart.  
"I could hear you," Aurora admitted, continuing when Daryl raised an eyebrow, "As I fell back I heard all these gun shots and Rick's voice, after I banged my head I could hear you telling me that you'd brought them back, but it was like I was drowning…Everything was so quiet and distant and the more I struggled to hear you the more contained I felt…" She mumbled, her hands coming up to rest on his shoulders, looking for confirmation she was indeed with him.

"Bet me shaking you about like a rag doll wha' a great wake up call," Daryl smirked down at her.  
"I'm just glad that you're safe," she leant up and kissed him, "I was worried you wouldn't come back."  
Daryl gave her a small smirk, not willing to upset her by telling her of Merle's fate, "I told you I'd come back." He leaned down kissing her slowly.  
He leant down his head resting in the crook of Aurora's neck, his hands on her hips, her arms wrapped around his neck. She squirmed when she felt Daryl mumble against her bruised neck, tickling her.

"What'd ya say?" Aurora giggled underneath the hunter as Daryl turned his head to the side, so that his mouth was just below her ear.  
"Dun matter wha I said." He mumbled, making Aurora giggle at the sensation of his breath and stubble against her neck.  
"Tell meeee," Aurora whined and pouted at the horrible realisation that she sounded like the spoilt teenager Shane had claimed she was.  
Daryl sighed dramatically, his breath tingling the side her neck, "I said, I wish Ma could'a met ya'."  
Aurora blushed deeply, her fingertips gently playing with the back of Daryl's hair but said nothing so Daryl simply continued.  
"She always said she wanted me ta find a nice girl an' settle down," Daryl mumbled against her neck, "I don think she woulda believed you were mine though, we run in different circles." 

Aurora smiled, "She sounds like a great woman and I don't think the class system really counts for much now, you know…the world kinda ended."  
Daryl smirked against the flesh of her neck, "Yeah I'm glad she din hafta see that…"

They lay in comfortable silence for some time until Aurora gently whispered, "I missed your mug around camp."  
"Really?" Daryl smirked, moving so that his face hovered over hers, "How much did you miss me?"  
Aurora bit her lip at the insinuations behind his words, "Hmm, so much." She purred.  
With sexy smirk, he leaned down capturing her lips with his own, smiling into the kiss as Aurora moaned, their tongues fighting for dominance.  
His hands raked up her bare sides as the kiss heated further. They pulled apart, Daryl ripping his vest off while Aurora ridded herself of her bra. They crashed together once more, Aurora's hands scratching down Daryl's now naked back as their tongues massaged each other. Daryl groaned with the delicious pain of Aurora scratching at him, kneeling between her legs he began to unbutton her jeans without breaking their kiss, they both smiled into their kiss as Daryl tugged at her jeans. They pulled away once more so that Aurora could pull of her own jeans and underwear and Daryl could discard his own jeans and boxers, releasing his impressive manhood.

Daryl smirked as his back hit the blankets, "Someone's eager." He drawled as Aurora crawled over the top of him.  
"I've missed you," Aurora admitted. Daryl smirked at her, his large hands holding her naked hips as he guided her so that she hovered over his already hard member. One of his hands slipped between her legs, the brunette threw her head back a wanton moan rolling off her tongue as Daryl's thumb rubbed across her nub of nerves, one of his fingers sliding into her already wet entrance.

He smirked at her, though she couldn't see it with her eyes closed in ecstasy. His smirked grew as a second finger joined the first causing Aurora to grind against his hand, it made erection throb with want but he was enjoying the sight too much to stop just yet.  
"P..lease.." Aurora whimpered, moving her hips so Daryl's thumb rubbed her nerve bundle harder.  
"Since ya said the magic word." Daryl grunted, removing his hand from her, which earned a whine from the brunette, Daryl arranged himself under her before pulling her down onto him.  
They both moaned. Pushing himself up, so that he was sat up with Aurora impaled on him, Daryl kissed her furiously, her arms wrapping around her neck as she held on to her lover as Daryl pulled up and slammed her back down rapidly with her hips. 

Throwing her head back, Aurora moaned loudly almost in sync with Daryl's pants and grunts.  
"Ahh yea~" Aurora panted loudly, "Hmmm..Daryl!"  
Spurred on by his lover calling his name, the hunter pounded up into Aurora while slamming her back down onto him. Aurora moaned loudly, Daryl was going deeper then she had ever been with a man, the pleasure was becoming almost intensely tortuous, coiling in her lower abdomen. Daryl grunted, his skin covered in a thin shine of sweat as he pushed his forehead into the crook of Aurora's neck, slamming up inside her rapidly. She gasped when the blonde let out a strangled cry as he finished.

The couple smiled at each other, Aurora giggling slightly at the slight popping sound when she removed herself from her lover. They lay next to each over on the makeshift bed, tired and sedated as Daryl pulled a cover up over the pair of them. He smiled, looking down at his already asleep girlfriend. He scooted down next to her, lay on his side like she was, and pulled her back to his chest, gently kissing her neck and shoulder.  
He lay down, feeling sleep ebb at him, and knew that the girl asleep in his arms meant more to him then he had should allow her too, but he wouldn't change it. And how many women could say that their lover would trade civilization to meet them?

**You know the drill! Review please! **

**Lucy Freebird: Here's ya update, not as thrilling though..**

**TheImmortalChaplin: Thank yooou! **

**ErisandDysomnia: You reminded me so much of one of my best friends with the 'WOMAN' :P Please don't kill me now you know shes alive?**

**Idioticnoise: Thank yooou so much! **

**Hime4life: Not as intense but I hope you liked**

**Constantlylost: Not a murderer I dropped everything and it all fell on my toe =/ And im sorry but Amy has to die, I love her but her death creates an important transition in the series, especially for the characters. **

**Viktorskrumpet: Thank yooou! I liked the ending but I think it may have annoyed some people :P**

**Rickii101: She's okay **

**Kakashi-luver: I ended it like that to be mean – MMWWWUUUHAHAHAHA!**

**Powergirl24: get back from the edge, you'll fall off!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Can't believe this is nearly at an end…**

Morning was soon upon the lovers. Daryl groaned as he rolled on to his back, his memories of the days and night before sweeping into his mind as he clawed his way to consciousness. He looked down at the young woman in his arms, looking surprisingly peaceful for someone with a black eye and the blood tattered hair. Daryl tried to slip out from underneath her but only succeeded in waking the woman.  
"Daryl?" She murmured against his chest, not looking up or opening her eyes.  
"Ya'?"  
"Tell me last night was a nightmare."  
"I can't."

Aurora sighed, before rolling off of the blonde and sitting up, her back to Daryl, "I was afraid you'd say that," She mumbled, "Who'd we lose?"  
"I dun know," Daryl mumbled, sitting up so that Aurora could tug the blanket around her still naked form, Aurora said nothing but leaned over to her open duffle bag to pull out a hairbrush she'd been wise enough to pack when Shane was pulling her through the house. Aurora grunted in pain as she pulled the brush through the back of her hair in an attempt to dislodge the dried blood.

Daryl watched her, contemplating helping her but decided getting dressed and staying out the way was a better option, he had never been good with women or their emotions. They dressed quickly and silently, Aurora worried about what she may face through the flaps of her tent and Daryl wondering how he had left himself care so much for the brunette next to him.  
"Come on then." Daryl grumbled, opening the tent and crawling out.

/

Aurora watched as Lori crouched beside Andrea and Amy, whispering sweet words, telling the mourning sister that we'd be gentle when we took her. Aurora lowered her head, her eyes shut tightly as to not let the tears escape. Amy was gone. As simple as that, everything that ever was or would be her friend existed no more. Put out in an instant, a bite, and Aurora couldn't even help her best friend when she needed her most. Honestly, she doubted she could help anyone; she couldn't save Carol from Ed, couldn't save Amy from someone thinking she was a snack, and couldn't even handle a bump on the head. That made her a liability and in a world ruled by the dead that was truly dangerous.  
Aurora sighed as she looked up, her tears retreating, at Daryl, who had acquired a pickaxe from somewhere, Glenn and T-Dog how were destroying the brains and cleaning away the corpses.

Aurora's head snapped up hearing a gun click. Andrea had her gun pointed at Rick telling him she knew how the safety worked. Rick apologised, back away, his arms raised to show he meant no harm. Aurora rushed over to the group, standing between Dale and Daryl.  
"Ya'll can't be serious," Daryl protested, his arm gesturing to Amy, "that dead girls a time bomb."  
"Her name is Amy." Aurora snapped but was ignored when Rick spoke up.  
"What'd you suggest?" The ex-police officer spoke calmly.  
"Take the shot." Daryl said, pickaxe resting on his shoulder, stepping towards Rick and miming a gun to his head, "Clean in the brain from here, hell I can hit a turkey between the yes from this distance."  
Aurora seethed with anger at him.  
"No." Lori spoke calmly, "For god sakes let her be." Lori sat down and Aurora shot her a rare look of gratitude.  
The group looked at each other in silent agreement. Daryl spat on the floor and stalked off, not happy without having it his own way, to taunt Jim and help Morale's move a body.

Glenn stopped them, "What are you doing? This is for geeks, our people go over there." Glenn pointed.  
Daryl continued dragging the body, "Whats the difference, their all infected."

"Our people go in that row over there," Glenn told them, his voice weak with emotion, both Daryl and Morales turned to face him, "We don't burn them!" Glenn shouted, "We bury them."  
Through the tense moment of Daryl taking in the request, Aurora strode up to stand beside her Korean friend, "He's right." She agreed simply, daring either man to object with her stare.

Morales and Daryl dragged the body off.  
"Reap what you sow;" Daryl shouted, Morales instantly telling him to shut up, "Ya'll left my brother for dead," He pointed at the body he had just moved, "You had this comin'!" 

"A walker bit Jim!" Jacqui's scared voice shouted.  
The camp stood instantly.  
"Show it to us." Daryl demanded. Jim grabbed a shovel, ready to defend him. T-Dog rushed at him from behind, holding his arms to stop his escape, Daryl jumped forwards pulling up Jim's shirt to reveal the bite.  
"I'm okay," he told them, obviously not believing it himself, "I'm okay, I'm okay." He repeated.

"I say we put a pickaxe in his head," Daryl grunted as the camp counselled in a circle, "And the dead girls and be done with it."  
"That what you want," Shane said, "if it were you."  
"Yeah and I'd thank you why you did it." Daryl reasoned.  
"I hate to say it, I never thought I would be maybe Daryl's right." Dale reasoned.  
Rick scowled and like the lawman he was, shot any idea that wasn't his down, "He's not some kind of a monster, some rabid dog."  
"I'm not suggesting th-" Dale started but Rick talked over him.  
"He's sick, if we go down that line .." he stopped when Lori held his arm.  
"Line's pretty clear," Daryl told them, Aurora stood listening, not saying anything, "Zero tolerance for walkers for the infected."

Then Rick decided to start yet another could-be-catastrophic mission, suggesting the CDC to the camp with, of course, Shane objecting.  
"You go looking for aspirin," Daryl stated turning away, "When what you need to do is have some balls and take care of this damn problem!"  
Daryl ran at Jim, pickaxe raised. Aurora rushed forwards with Shane and Rick. Rick pushing a gun to the back of Daryl's head, Shane standing in front of him and Aurora in front of Jim, holding his hand in support.  
"'.." Rick warned.  
"'s funny, coming from a man that just put a gun to ma' head." Daryl glared at Rick intensely.  
"We may disagree on somethings, not on this." Shan said calmly.  
Daryl's harsh gaze washed over Aurora, Jim and Shane, "Weren't saying that when we took care of those looters, or dun you wan' your buddy to know bout that?"  
Aurora could feel Rick's questioning gaze upon her. 

"Put it down, com' on." Shane told Daryl who, with a huff, threw his pickaxe on the floor, grabbed hold of Aurora's wrist and yanked her up to drag her off, "Ya'll stay away from him!" he snapped at her as he dragged her away.  
"Get the fuck off me!" Aurora growled at Daryl as they reached the tree line.  
He let her wrist go and contented himself with glaring at her.  
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Aurora snarled, "Amy and Jim are my friends, their human."  
"One's dead and the others infected what ya' wan' me to do, let 'em bite ya?" Daryl growled.  
"No," Aurora snapped, "I expect you to be human like the rest of us; you don't think we're scared of them coming back? Of course we are! But we're dealing with it, when Amy..when she..we won't let her suffer, you were going to kill Jim for christ's sake!"

Aurora calmed down slightly. Daryl said nothing, just watching the woman before him. His eyes squinted slightly, "You fuckin' wan' him don't cha?" Daryl accused.  
"Excuse me?" Aurora asked shocked at the accusation.  
"Jim!" Daryl growled, "I saw ya'll holding on to each other, he's gon' get you killed and you want him."  
Aurora looked at him, angry at the seriousness in his eyes, "I cant believe you!" Aurora snapped shocked before pushing past Daryl back towards camp.  
"Where the fuck you think you goin'?" He growled after her.  
"None of your business!" She growled, speeding to a jog into the camp.  
Daryl snarled in her direction before turning and punching a nearby innocent tree.

"You're not moving her." Andrea warned when Aurora approached.  
"I don't want to," Aurora whispered, stepping around Amy to crouch next to her, opposite Andrea, "I came to pay my respects."  
Andrea glanced up at Aurora, who made no more to touch Amy or move closer. Andrea nodded her consent and Aurora gently lifted one of Amy's limp white hands and held it in both of hers.  
"I don't know if you are..were religious," Aurora whispered to Amy, so that only Andrea could hear, "I'm not, I can imagine you joining some form of religion based on technology and phones," Aurora gave an empty laugh, "But belief or not, I hope you are safe now Amy. You don't need to run anymore, no more fear, no more cold and bitter." Aurora swallowed her raising tears, "I would say I hope you're looking down on us smiling but I'm sure the view isn't too great." Aurora gently kissed her friends lip hand before laying it back on her stomach. "This isn't goodbye; it's see you later." Aurora gave a small smile before standing and wiping her eyes.

Andrea looked up at the brunette, tears in her eyes even though Aurora doubted that the blonde could cry more, "Thank you." Andrea whispered.  
Aurora walked off, nodding her head in greeting to Dale as the old man went to sit with Andrea.

/

Daryl ripped his pickaxe from the face of another walker. His anger building with each swing. The redneck knew he shouldn't have said those things to Aurora that they weren't true but he was a slave to his own anger, it used to land in quite a few sleepovers in a jail cell, which is probably why Daryl and his girlfriend's brother didn't get on, society or not they knew they were opposite. Daryl swung again, that was if she was still with him after his burst of stupid.  
He readied the weapon over Ed's remains, ready to destroy him even in death for hurting Aurora, Daryl paused when Carol approached him.  
"I'll do it," she said weakly, "He was my husband."  
Daryl handed her the weapon knowing he couldn't deny her the right to see off her husband not matter what he thought of Ed. Daryl grimaced watching Carol cry while she went to town on her husband's face.

/

Aurora followed the rest of camp to where the bodies were going to be buried, she could hear Daryl bitching about rules and burning the bodies and once again as thankful for Lori stepping in to get the men in line. Everyone fell silent as Amy was buried, it may have been a simple attempt to cling to their humanity but it mattered.  
Aurora subconsciously bit her lip as they walked off, something that Daryl didn't miss, it was a turn on for the hunter, he didn't know why but whenever he saw Aurora do it he had to stop himself to dragging her away from everyone and having his way with her.

/

Sometime later, when they were all sat around the fire, Shane addressed them, "I've been thinking about Rick's plan, there are no guarantees either way, I'll be the first on to admit it. I've know this man for a long time, I trust him. We need to stay together, those of you that agree, we leave first thing in the morning,."

The plan was set.  
Aurora sat in her tent that night; sleep a distant hope as she thought about her options. No one was going to stay, just go with the group or alone. Aurora turned when she heard a cough in at the entrance to her tent; Daryl was crouched down looking for Aurora consent.  
"What'd you want?" Aurora snapped and Daryl took this as an invitation into the tent.  
"So, we're going to the CDC?" Daryl grumbled sitting back on the make shift bed.  
"Weren't you listening earlier?" 

For a while neither said anything for a while until Aurora simply whispered, "I'm sorry about Merle."  
Daryl shifted behind her so that he was sat cross-legged, "I'm sorry about the girl." He mumbled before pulling her backwards into his lap. Aurora sighed, leaning her head on his chest as his arms wrapped around her and he kissed the top of her head.

"You think the CDC will be safe?" Auroras asked quietly.  
"Nowhere is safe." Daryl mumbled.  
"Joy killer." Aurora grumbled into his chest snuggling down.  
"What's I tell you 'bout me not being a damn teddy?" Daryl grumbled, not really bothered about the closeness but not wanting to sleep sat up if he could help it. Aurora huffed dramatically before throwing herself onto the blankets, dragging her lover with her.  
"Happy now?" She mumbled falling into sleep quietly. She never heard his reply but felt him swept her hair back behind her ear and kiss her forehead.

/

Aurora stood beside Daryl the next morning as her brother and Rick told them all about the radio frequency and to honk once if there were any problems. Morales spoke up, him and his family were not going. Rick gave them a gun and Shane some bullets, much to Daryl's distaste, Aurora stepped forward, hugging all four of them in turn.  
"Be safe." She kissed Morales cheek.

The group drove off mostly in silence.  
Aurora sat in the passenger seat of Daryl's truck, watching the silent dead world around them, occasionally glancing back to check on her brother behind them. Daryl's eyes watched ahead, occasionally glancing to the side to watch the wind manipulate Aurora's hair.

The line stopped when the caravan came to an abrupt halt, T-Dog and Shane scouted ahead to a gas station to try and find that parts that the caravan needed. Jacqui jumped down out the caravan, "Ya'll its Jim and I don't know how much more he can take."  
Rick came back to tell the group the news, Jim wanted to die, plain and simple. After a small discussion between the group they decided to let Jim have his wish why he was lucid.  
"I wanna be with my family." He told them when they asked if he knew what he was doing.

Each said their own goodbyes to the infected man, Aurora was one of the last, she leaned down and kissed Jim's cheek, "You'll be with them soon." She whispered to him. Jim smiled at her as she walked back down the hill beside Glenn; Daryl nodded his farewell to Jim before following the others. Glenn and Aurora shared at quick hug at the bottom of the hill before removing themselves from each other and returning to their respective rides. Everyone watched Jim as they drove by, the silence engulfing them once more.

/

They pulled up outside the CDC some time later.  
"Jesus Christ," Aurora cursed, the mass of bodies hitting her senses before the smell. The stench was thick and heavy in the air, clogging the survivor's nostrils and lining the roofs of their mouths. The survivors coughed and spluttered as they made their way forwards, weapons raised as they listened for any sound other than the collective buzzing of the flies on the corpses. They moved quickly towards the building.  
Shane and Rick pushed at the closed doors.  
"Nobody's here!" T-Dog snapped.  
"Walkers!" Daryl shouted, stepping forward in front of Aurora and shooting it in the head.  
Rick started to shout at the redneck.  
"I made a call!" Daryl shouted.  
Shane dove forward, pushing Daryl's chest, telling him to shut up.  
"This is a dead end!" Shane snapped, striding towards Rick.  
"Where are we gonna go?" Coral wailed.  
"We can't be this close to the city," Aurora told them, "not after dark."  
"We can still go to the fort," Shane said, "Its still an option."  
"On what?" Lori asked, "On no fuel, no water, no food?"

"Fuck that we need answers now!" Aurora growled she could hear Daryl and T-Dog clicking their weapons.  
"We'll think of something!" Rick shouted. Aurora and Glenn glanced at each other, a silent 'don't die because I'll miss you' .  
The group started back to the car, Daryl keeping close to Aurora.  
"No wait the camera!" Rick ran back to the doors, pounding against them, pleading for entrance. Chaos filled Aurora's senses as her brother dragged Rick away from the door as he repeatedly shouted "You're killing us."

Everything stopped as the door slid open. Aurora's hand fell by her side, Daryl's large hand coming down to hold hers as a white light washed over them all. All Aurora could think was that if this was 'the bright light' that meant she was dead, at least she had Daryl beside her.

**Can't believe this is almost over *cries* Review please; I wanna leave this story on a high! **

**Idioticnoise: Thank yooou! I'm glad you love it!**

**ErisandDysomnia: I knew you'd like the smutt ;) at least it saved my life!**

**Constantlylost: I'm glad you liked it so much!**

**Powergirl24: Nooo! I didn't mean to kill you!**

**Kakashi-luver: At least I'm a forgiven meanie! **

**Lucy Freebird: Oh yeah double read! I never thought of doing that… I could have been really mean with that!**

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**HiHeidiHyde: Hey ickle one, I've told you to stop lying young lady! **


	11. Chapter 11

**THIS FIC HAS A BANNER! :D Check it out on my profile! Sorry about how long this took me…I don't wanna see it end… **

Recovering from their shock, the group entered the newly opened building, Daryl and Aurora letting go of each other to hold their weapons in both hands.  
"Watch those doors," Shane orders and Rick called out, "Watch for walkers."  
The group, huddled together nervously, scanned the room, everyone's eyes darting about as though they had forgotten how the inside of a building looked.  
"Hello?" Rick called out once more.  
The group gasped and readied their weapons collectively at the click of a foreign weapon. Their heads snapped around to an ordinary looking man in a grey t-shirt and a pair of jeans apart from the gun in his hands that was probably taller than Carl or Sophia.

"Anybody infected?" The man called out.  
"One of our group was," Rick told him, neither lowering their weapon, "he didn't make it."  
The man stepped forward, "Why are you here, what do you want?"  
Aurora gave a sideways glance at Daryl, who was watching the door with her, as he stared intently outside, obviously not enjoying the chit-chat taking place while they were sitting ducks.

"A chance," Rick told the man, his voice wavering slightly as he shook.  
"That's asking an awful lot these days." The man said as he approached the group slowly.  
"I know," Rick confessed.

The man glanced around the deep breathing, scared group as he stepped forward, "You all submit to a blood test, that's the price of admission."  
The groups agreed and the man got rid of his weapon.  
"You got stuff to bring in you do it now," He told them, "once these doors close they stay closed."

The stuff was quickly brought in and the doors shut before the man pressed an intercom and told someone called 'Vi' to seal the entrance. Then the group found themselves in an elevator with the mysterious man named Jenner, something that was a common and trivial experience like riding in an elevator was now like entering the twilight zone. It felt creepy. Daryl had bagged the back corner of the small metal box, the only person wanted to stand close to him was Aurora, who discretely leant back against him, one of his arms around her hips and the other holding his gun for Jenner to see.

"Doctors always go around packing heat like that?" Daryl asked, making a few of the riders turn to glance at his scowling, Glenn being one of them as he slightly wondered how Aurora could handle the redneck.  
"There were plenty left lying around, I familiarised myself," The doctor told them, "You all look harmless enough, except you," Jenner smiled slightly as he titled his head at Carl, "I'll have to keep my eye on you." Carl smiled and Jenner looked away and for a brief second Aurora wonder who this man might have been before the world died.

The group followed Jenner down a hallway, Aurora glanced around nervously, it was strange to be inside.  
"Are we underground?" Carol asked.  
Daryl smirked slightly from his position at the back of the group next to Aurora, one hand swinging a gun back and forth.  
"You claustrophobic?" Jenner asked, turning around to glance at Carol as they walked.  
"A little." Carol admitted.  
"Try not to think about it." Jenner told her as they continued down the corridor and into a larger circular room.  
"Vi," Jenner's loud voice echoed around the room, "Bring the lights on in the big room."  
The lights flashed on and a white, sterile room presented itself to the apocalypse survivors.

"Where is everybody?" Rick asked as they progressed into the room, "The other doctors? The staff?"  
"I'm it." Jenner said from his position in the middle of the computers, "It's just me."  
"What about the person you were speaking with?" Lori asked.  
"Vi?" Aurora added.

"Vi, say hello to our guests." Jenner ordered, "Tell them, welcome."

_**Hello guests, welcome.**_

Aurora and the other survivors glanced around, looking for the speakers that echoed the metallic voice.  
"I'm all that's left." Jenner told them, his voice tinged with a sadness they had come to know well, "I'm sorry."

A while later, the group waited for Andrea to finish her blood test. Aurora sat on the floor with her head between her knees as she willed the world to still, Shane sat beside her, his large hand rubbing her back, with Daryl stood leaning against the wall on her other side.  
"Still got that needle problem?" Rick asked from his position sat on the other side of Shane.  
"End of the world can't change everything." Shane grumbled as his sister mumbled incoherent curses into her knees.

Andrea stood, wobbling slightly, Jacqui helped her to steady herself.  
"You okay?" Jenner asked, seeming genuinely interested.  
"She hasn't eaten in days," Jacqui told him, "None of us have."

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And let the drinking commence!  
The tabled laughed together as Dale poured Lori a glass of wine. 

With some persuasion, Lori moved her hand, giving her okay for Carl to try some wine.  
"Nice," Daryl commented from his position leaning back on a table, gun in the front of his waistband, sharing a wine bottle with Aurora who sat next to him cross-legged on the table.

The group silenced as they watched the freckled boy sip at the wine in the plastic cup before grimacing and proclaiming, "Eeeww!"  
The whole group laughed, as he shook his hand and complained, Lori pouring her son's disreguarded wine into her own glass.  
"You just stick to soda pop there bud," Shane smiled at him.

"Not you Glenn," Daryl said as he stalked around the table.  
Aurora watched amused as Glenn glanced up from the wine bottle he had been reading, "What?" he asked smiling.  
"Keep drinking little man," Daryl told him, "I wanna see how red your face can get."  
The group rolled into another welcomed burst of laughter.

"Hey Rora, slow down on that!" Shane scolded as Aurora took another swag from Daryl's bottle.  
"Come on Shane," Dale smiled, "Let her have some fun."  
"Yeah Shane, let me have some fun." Aurora said sticking her tongue out at her brother, making Daryl and the others laugh.  
"I'm with Shane on this one," Lori smiled.  
"You would be," Aurora smirked, taking another swag as Daryl leaned back on the table beside her once more.  
"Well yeah," Lori said, "you're clumsy at the best of time but when you've had a drink you're deadly."  
"No I'm not." The brunette woman protested, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting, the others around the table laughing.  
"What about last year at Thanks giving?" Shane smirked, Carl and Lori also smiling at the memories.

"Shhh!" Aurora hissed her finger pressed against her lips before she swung her arms about slightly, "We do not speak of this!"  
Daryl laughed, gulped the wine with one hand, his free arms slipping around his slightly drunk girlfriend shoulders.  
"Ohh honey," Jacqui smiled, "Is there a story we should know?" She asked Lori who smiled.

"Aunt Aurora broke Dad's nose!" Carl jumped in, sticking his tongue out at Aurora when she scowled at the boy. The group chuckled, glancing around at the red faced brunette who attempted to hide in Daryl's side.  
"It wasn't my fault!" Aurora mumbled against the hunter, "The turkey wanted to fly!"

Laughter roared from the table, Rick pinching the bridge of his nose at the painful memory. The laughter subsided when Rick tapped his spoon against his glass and stood up.  
"It seems to me we haven't thanked our host properly." Rick told them.

"He is more than just our host," T-Dog declared raising his glass, the others following suit and cheering 'here-here' until Daryl raised one of the bottles shouting "Boo-ya!"  
Aurora smiled, "Boo-ya!" she shouted with T-Dog, Carl and Glenn, all smiling like children.

"So when you gonna tell us what happened her doc?" Shane asked as they all fell silent, "all thee, er, the other doctors? Thought you s'posed to be figuring out what happened? Where are they?" The other slowly lowered their glasses, their smiles fading.

"Celebrating Shane," Rick said, sitting down once more, "No need to do this now."  
"Oh wait a second," Shane's deep voice rumbled, "This is why we're here right? This was your move, find all the answers, instead we, we found him." Shane grumbled, jabbing his thumb in Jenner's direction, "Found one man. Why?"

"Well when things go bad a lot of people just left, went off to be with their families." Jenner explained and though she was slightly drunk Aurora could tell the man had been thinking about this a lot, what else was there to do now a days?

He continued, "And when things got worse, and the military cordon got overrun, the rest bolted."  
"Every last one?" Shane asked as he slid down further into his chair.  
"No," Jenner spoke clearly, "Many couldn't face walking out the door, they opted out. There was a rash of suicides. That was a bad time."  
Carol shifted uncomfortably and Jacqui sipped more of her wine.

"You didn't leave," Andrea commented, "Why?"  
"I just kept working, hoping."

A silence fell over them, eventually broken by Glenn, "Dude you are such a buzz kill man." He told Shane.

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"Most the facilities powered down, including housing so you'll have to make do here," Jenner told the group as they walked down an even smaller corridor, "Couches are comfortable but there are cots in storage if you like. The rec room down the hall, don't pull in the video games or anything that uses power, same with if you shower go easy on the hot water."

Jenner walked off and Glenn turned back to the rest of the group, "Hot water?" He smiled.  
"That's what the man said." T-Dog grinned.

"Come on." Daryl grunted taking a hold of Aurora's hand in his large coarse one and dragging her behind him towards the rooms that Jenner had allocated them. Aurora turned slightly to wave farewell to her brother, Glenn and Dale as she was dragged, noting the hateful glare in Shane's eyes was directed at Daryl.

Daryl pushed open one of the numerous doors and pulled Aurora in behind him using the momentum to throw her back, yelping, onto some softy and springy. Aurora lay still, her eyes squeezed shut as she extended her arms to examine her new surroundings. Opening one brave eye, Aurora squinted at the matters below her, an actual mattress!

"Where did you find this?" the brunette woman asked pointing at the springy comfort she had missed.  
Daryl smirked proudly, though Aurora was too busy making mattress angels to see this, "Found it in one ah storage cupboards."

Aurora stopped mid angel, realising that for one the alcohol must be getting to her and secondly her best friend wasn't here to see or enjoy the mattress with her.  
"What's wrong?" Daryl grumbled, looking down from his standing position at his now silent and still girlfriend, her head facing down so he couldn't see her properly.

"I wish Amy had got a chance to see this." she mumbled, sneaking wiping away the tears that threatened to fall, hoping Daryl wouldn't see.  
"The dead girl?" Daryl grumbled, looking around for one of the bottles of alcohol he had taken.

"She was more than just a dead girl Daryl." Aurora spat, still not looking up at her lover. Daryl, still oblivious to his girlfriend's tears, smirked as he snatched one of the bottles off the floor before dropping himself back onto the mattress beside her.

"Well whatever she was," Daryl said while he opened the whine, "She ain't now."  
Aurora squeezed her eyes shut, a few stray tears escaping down her cheeks, she opened her mouth to say something but all that emerged was a whimper.

Daryl paused mid-swag before pulling the bottle from his lips, placing it floor and swallowing what was left in his mouth before leaning over and placing his large hands over Aurora's tear stained cheeks to turn her to face him.  
"Ah fuck," He cursed, his eyes darting about taking in her expression, "ah'm sorry." He grumbled leaning forward and kissing her cheeks then giving her a linger kiss on her lips.

"It's okay," Aurora gave him a small smile as she pulled away from his hands and swiped her tears on her sleeve.  
"Ya okay?" Daryl asked her as he reached for the alcohol once more.

"I'm fine," She lied smiling through her pain, "Why don't we go and test the shower?"  
Daryl smirked, taking another swig before handing it Aurora and watching her drink a few mouthfuls then took her hand in his and dragged her off to the shower.

She slipped her t-shirt over her head slowly, her muscles protesting as she did so, before slipping of her jeans, which were too big for her now, and her underwear. Daryl simply pulled his clothes off and dropped them on the floor, not caring were they landed when he caught a glimpse of Aurora stepping under the hot spray of the shower.

"I know you weren't gonna start the party without me." He mumbled against the brunette's neck as he stepped in behind her, his arms sliding around her waist and pulling her back against his chest and arousal.

"Seems you're always ready for a party." Aurora smirked as she turned in his arms, her lips immediately attaching themselves to the side of his neck. Daryl groaned, pulling her closer against him, one of his hands slipping down her hip and in between Aurora's legs. Moaning loudly as the fingers sliding over her womanhood, one delving inside her folds, which was quickly followed by another.

"Mmm.." Aurora moaned against Daryl's neck as he fingers pumped inside her, his thumb rubbing her bundle of nerves. Pushing his lover back so she leaned against the wall, Daryl lifted Aurora with her back rested against the wall. The water sprayed down on them as their tongues fought for dominance as Aurora wrapped her legs around his waist and he pushed himself inside her, both moaning loudly.

Aurora gasped, the feeling of the hot water, cold wall and Daryl fucking her into the wall sent her nerves into overdrive. Moaning loudly, Aurora arched her back against the wall, moaning loudly as she came, her fingernails digging into Daryl's shoulders.

He grunted, his thrusts becoming more erratic as he neared his peak until finally he came. He let her shaking legs down as they kissed.  
Aurora pulled away smiling, "I love you." She whispered, leaning in to kiss him one more.

Daryl leaned back, away from the kiss, "You what?" He asked eyes wide.  
Aurora thought about what she had said, she honestly hadn't meant for it to come out.

"I'ma gon' get another drink." He said, stepping away from her and out of the shower.  
"Daryl wait!" Aurora shouted, turning the water on and stepping out of the shower, but he had already left, fully dressed.

With a sigh, Aurora climbed back into the shower, wrapping her towel around her and huddling herself into the corner and finally she allowed her frustrations about Daryl, Amy and the Apocalypse to come out as she cried.

Daryl stormed through the hallways, his expression calling all the other survivors away. He marched over to wine cooler they had been taking from, ripping the door open and chugged half of a bottle before wiping his face with his hand.  
"You know, that's not very good for your health."  
Daryl snapped around at the voice, glaring at Dale who sat calmly at the table with a glass of wine in his hand.  
"Fuck off old man." Daryl spat, swaging from the bottle once more.  
Dale was unfazed, "Something troubling you Daryl?"  
"Yeah, you." He took another drink.

Dale sighed, watching the wine in his glass, "If only that true, I have a feeling you're wine raid has something to do with a Miss. Walsh?"  
Daryl glared ahead of him, deciding not to answer the old man in favour of drinking some more.

"Look son –" Dale started.  
"I ain't your son." Daryl snapped.  
"Well you're acting a child." Dale told him calmly and the hunter was surprised by the old man's bravery, "Whatever the problem is between you and Aurora, you can fix it."  
"What if it don't need fixing?" Daryl grumbled, wanting advice but not wanting to ask for it.

"Then I don't see why you'd have a problem," Dale sighed as he stood up, "But I've seen the way that girl looks at you, the same way you look at her. Each other is all we have now, don't like pride or stubbornness stop you, we may not have long left." Dale told him, before walking by, patting the hunter on the shoulder in support and walking off to find the shower.

Daryl sighed, gulping the last drops of his wine before stalking out of the room, he hated apologises, especially when they had to come from him.

He found Aurora sometime later in their room where he had left her but not of her own. He glared through the slightly opened doorway into their shared room, angry that the chink was in there was his woman.

Aurora was lay on the mattress, her head in Glenn's lap who sat at the top of the bed stroking her hair, with a baggy t-shirt and shorts on.  
"You didn't seem okay when I found you." Glenn spoke, and Daryl realised he was listening mid-conversation.  
"I'm fine, honestly." Aurora sniffed.  
"Was it something that stupid hick did?" Glenn asked, anger rising within him, "I swear we can get you away from him if he's hurting you."

Daryl resisted the urge to shoot the stupid fucker, how dare the bastard? But if he did then his cover would be blown.  
"As if you could take him on," Aurora chuckled lightly, "No, it was me, I messed everything up."  
"You couldn't mess anything up." Glenn smiled down, pulling some hair out her face.  
"Have I ever told you that you are amazing?" Aurora asked.  
Glenn laughed, "Not nearly as much as you should do."

Daryl glared from his position as they both laughed together. Fine, if the chink was amazing she could have the fucking the chink! A small part of his mind warned this was just like when he accused her of wanting Jim but the larger, angrier part forced him to storm off back to the wine cooler, as far as he was concerned, they were over.

**Sorry but I have to drag this series out a bit longer!**

**Lucy Freebird: Thank you!**

**Rickii101: Me netha! **

**Kakashi-luver: I don't want to be almost done! **

**Constantlylost: Read my other stories ;) lol joking!**

**Idioticnoise: Do not fear! Aurora will return around Christmas time!**

**Viktorskrumpet: Have I mentioned how much you're reviews made me smile? Thank you soo much! I really do try and im glad people actually enjoy it! Aurora will be back with Season 2!**

**hydra350: :O! MEGA-COOKIE! Yay! I checked out you're story and Anna and Aurora would be amazing together! **

**IrritablyCalmCanaries: Thank you very much!**

**what.: Glad you found it and are enjoying it so far **

**babydake93: Thank you, its means a lot to me **

**xXBXx: Thaaaank you! **

**JinnyTheGreat: I'm glad **


	12. Chapter 12

**Thank you for all my fantastic reviews! I LOVE YOU ALL!**

Aurora sighed as she sat up on the bed, running a hand through her hair as she did so. Glenn stretched his legs which ached slightly from having Aurora leant on them.  
"I'm going to go for a walk," Aurora shot Glenn a small forced smile as she stood up and stretched.  
Glenn slipped off the bed and adjusted his hat before opening his arms out.  
"One for the road?" He smiled his infectious smile no doubt the result of the alcohol he had consumed.  
Aurora smiled, stretching her own arms out and wrapping them around Glenn's neck, his arms wrapping around her waist in a tight hug.  
"Remember you're amazing." Aurora smiled as she brushed her lips against Glenn's cheek. The Korean man blushed furiously, adjusting his hat.  
"Don't let Daryl see you do that." Glenn laughed nervously.  
Aurora scowled instantly, "I love you Glenn but I will slap you."  
"But I thought I was amazing?" Glenn asked confused, as he took a step back.  
"You are but I just don't want to think about that hick okay?" Aurora told him, her bottom lip quivering slightly as she glanced away and Glenn instantly felt like an arse. He wrapped his arms around her once more in a hug, tickling her slightly to make her giggle.  
"Come on," Glenn smiled cheekily as he pulled Aurora out of the room.  
"Where are we going?" Aurora laughed, for what felt like the first time in a long time.  
"Well there was wine left in the cooler," Glenn smiled looking back at her, "We can't have that, can we?"

Aurora laughed and ran down the hallway, hand in hand with her friend like she was six years old, the world hadn't ended and she could grow up to have a normal life.

On their mission to the kitchen, Aurora stopped and listened. She was sure she could hear shouting and it sounded like her brother. Glenn turned to her with a questioning gaze but Aurora simply raised a finger to her lips and tip-toed over towards her friend.  
"You go on," She whispered into his ear and smiled when he giggled through the alcohol, "I need to talk to my brother."  
And sure enough as Glenn disappeared down the hallway one of the doors near Aurora slammed open and Shane stormed out, anger etched across his features.  
"Shane?" she whispered when her brother turned to walk away without noticing her. Shane turned slowly to face his sister and Aurora gasped.  
"Shane what happened to your neck?" she asked as she took his hand and pulled him into one o0f the spare rooms.

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The first thing that Glenn noticed when he skidded into the kitchen was the broken wine bottle on the floor, its contents spewed around it like it had been smashed, the second thing he noticed was the menacing blonde figure sat at the table watching him.  
"Hey Daryl." Glenn smiled nervously. It was not unusual for Glenn to feel intimidated but now he felt like he was a squirrel and Daryl was on a hunt. Daryl watched Glenn intently but said nothing. Glenn noticed, for the first time, the two empty wine bottles next to the blonde.

Glenn dared to take his eyes of Daryl as he took a bottle out of the cooler.  
"Wan' somethin' a little stronger chink?" Daryl eventually spat out. Glenn sighed, half of him hoping Aurora wouldn't come in and get upset but the other half of him not wanting to be left alone with an angry, cross-bow wielding hunter.  
Glenn turned to face Daryl, "Like what?" he asked, no entirely sure if he'd like the answer. Leaning down, Daryl picked up a large bottle of pure vodka from the floor that he had found earlier.

Glenn raised an eyebrow, "I don't think that's a good idea."  
"Scared?" Daryl spat in amusement but it didn't reach his eyes.  
Glenn gulped, he was scared, truly scared of what the man before him could do if he was drunk but still Glenn shook his head as a no.  
Daryl continued to glare at the man before him as he leaned down once more and picked from the floor two shot glasses, there had been four but he had smashed two on his rampage into the room. Glenn inched forward slowly until finally he took a seat near Daryl and watched as the blonde filled both glasses and slid one over to Glenn.  
Glenn lifted the shot up, watching as Daryl did the same, there was no telling how wasted he'd be when Daryl had finished giving out shots but Glenn didn't particularly care. Only a matter of time before they were all gnawed on by walkers away.  
The blonde smirked, if he couldn't have Aurora he would destroy who did.

"Drink up chink." Daryl smirked as he gulped his own shot back, the warmth that burned down his throat offered him no comfort.

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Shane fell back onto the sofa in the room, blatantly ignoring his sister for the moment as he looked away.  
"Shane!" Aurora snapped as she stepped forward and settled herself on the sofa beside him.  
"Tell me." She insisted as her brother wiped a hand over his face, the sting of his neck annoying him.

"Me an' Lori had a discussion." Shane mumbled, as he looked down, watching his knees.  
"A discussion?" Aurora snapped, "Have you seen the state of your neck?"  
The silence hung over them for a while as Shane studied his hands and Aurora stared at her brothers neck.  
"Ah love her." Shane mumbled so quietly that Aurora was sure her brother hadn't spoken at all.  
Aurora smiled sadly as she crawled up to her brother and wrapped her arms around his shoulders from the side. Aurora breathed in his musky sent and was instantly sent back to when they were children and Shane would let her sleep in his bed to hide from the nightmares for their drunken mother. Aurora sighed, when she was fifteen hiding in a closet as her mother threw empty bottles at the door Shane had come home from his first day of police training at twenty-years-old with his new friend Rick and they had saved Aurora from the abusive woman. Then and there Aurora had promised that she wouldn't always need Rick and Shane's protection but instead one day she would be strong and help them.  
Aurora grimaced at the realisation she had got her wish, now she fought alongside them against creatures that used to be no different than them but still she couldn't help Shane emotionally.

"Isn't this the part where you comfort me?" Shane grumbled, not moving to return his sisters embrace.  
Aurora held him tighter, resting her face against his shoulder. They both knew there was nothing she could do to change what was happening or make it better, but at least they were alive and they were alive together.

"What's wrong?" Shane asked her eventually.  
"The dead are trying to eat us?" Aurora offered and Shane flicked her forehead making Aurora 'oow' childishly.  
"I mean with you, don't you think I noticed you'd been crying?" Shane asked rubbing his hair with his hand.  
Aurora sighed, "I said something I shouldn't and landed myself in trouble."  
"Again?" Shane smirked at the memories of his sisters various exploits.  
"Again."

"So what was said that got you into trouble?" Shane asked.  
"I love you." Aurora told him.  
"Well, yes, family tends to do that." Shane grumbled, eyebrow raised in confusion until Aurora sighed and rolled her eyes.  
"To Daryl?" Shane asked with a wince.  
"No to the fucking walkers," Aurora rolled her eyes before slapping Shane's arm, "Of course to Daryl you ninny."  
"I'm guessing he didn't take it well."  
Aurora didn't reply and Shane knew that he was right.  
"Well, its prob'ly for the best." Shane mumbled as he stood up and headed towards the door, "You should stay in here tonight, no good going back to share a room with that dick." And with that Shane left, leaving a saddened Aurora to find blankets for her night in the room by herself.

Shane rubbed the side of his neck once more, hating that fact that Lori had physically left her mark on his skin and not only his heart. Deciding he would feel happier with some booze in him the ex-officer took off to the kitchen. Shane stalked in, shoulders hunched as he advanced towards the wine cooler. Hearing a yelp, Shane head snapped around, instantly glaring at the sight before him.

Glenn was pushed against the table, the front of his shirt in Daryl's large fists, as the hunter growled in cap-loving man's face.  
"Daryl! Get off him!" Shane snapped, advancing towards them. Glenn giggled and threw his head back, obviously not realising the danger he was in due to half of the vodka bottle he had consumed.

"Fuck off!" Daryl snarled as Shane gripped the blonde man's shoulder and threw the Dixon away from the still laughing Glenn.  
"Glenn go to bed." Shane ordered as he kept a careful eye on Daryl who swayed as he got to his feet.

The ex-pizza boy stumbled away from the table, trying exceptionally hard to get one leg in front of the other without them getting tangled and tied together. By the time Glenn had reached the hallway Daryl was up and tensed to run at Shane.  
"Fuck you playing at?" Shane growled, "Fucking up ma sister not good enough for one night? Need to hav' a go at the kid too?" 

"You don't know shit!" Daryl spat, clenching his fists.  
"Oh that right?" Shane asked, biting the nail on his thumb, "I know ma sister loves you and you hurt her and there's no one about here that would question me if some'at happened ta ya, no one would miss ya either."

Daryl's eyes narrowed, knowing what Shane to be true, he didn't know why he was still with this group but deep down, though he wouldn't admit it, he knew Aurora was the best, if not the only, reason why he stayed. Daryl snarled as he began to stride past the ex-officer but didn't get far before his backside meet the floor from Shane punching him.

"Motha' fucker!" Daryl howled as he dove at Shane, taking his legs so he fell back and hit the floor. He pulled his hand back, smashing Shane in jaw similarity to how Shane had beat Ed. Daryl chocked out a curse as he was kick back by Shane's feet in his stomach. Adrenaline and alcohol pumping through his system, Daryl barely felt the shock or the pain as Shane swung an impressive punch and bust open the hunters lip.

The pair flew punches at each other blindly, hoping to hit the target, grunting and wincing when they were hit. Daryl snarled as he dove up, getting the advantage over Shane and punching him in the stomach once, twice, trice. Daryl jumped back, stumbling until he was stood over Shane who rolled on his side and coughed.

"You're a bastard, you know that?" Shane coughed as he rose to a crouch.  
Daryl simply smirked and wiped away the blood from his lip with the back of his hand.  
Shane got to his feet, swayed slightly and pointed at the blonde man in front of him, "You stupid dick, you have lost the best thing that ever happened to you, and that's fucking funny!"

Daryl snarled but knew that Shane was right, he marched forward ready to leave the kitchen.  
"She's in a room down the hall if you want a glance at what you've lost." Shane smirked as Daryl stalked past him.

Daryl growled, sideways punching the wall as he made his way down the hallway. Once he got to the door he assumed Shane had meant Daryl took a deep breath subconsciously hoping to gather courage as well as oxygen before he knocked loudly and slowly.

When no one answered his knock Daryl, in true Dixon style, opened the door and entered anyway. The first thing he noticed was the pile of covered on the sofa as through someone had made a fort around themselves and then fought to get out again, and Daryl smirked know it was something Aurora would do. The second thing he noticed was the cardboard box for razor blades just outside the door for the en-suite bathroom as though someone had grabbed the contents and thrown the box away in haste.

Images of _his_ Aurora lay pale and dying in the bathroom with her wrists slit over took his senses and instantly he was much to sober for his likely.  
"No, no, no!" He chanted as he ran at the bathroom door, "Aurora!" He shouted at the door, banging his fists against it.  
No reply. Daryl cursed, squinting as he tried to destroy the images of Aurora post-suicide. And the nagging voice, the one that had told him he was being silly for thinking Aurora didn't want him, laughed. It laughed loudly and its laughter rang in Daryl's ears and he knew that if Aurora was dead on the other side of that door, the fault would be his.  
"Aurora don't do this!" Daryl pleaded as he banged against the door, "I love you!" He pleaded.

**Hope you liked the end to this Chapter. I am started another Walking Dead fic, it's looking to be a DarylxOC but I'm not sure yet. Review pretty please! **

**Lucy Freebird: Glad my updates can excite you, here's another **

**what.: Thank you, hope you like this one too**

**wtldr: Thank you, I tried really hard to get him right **

**constantlylost: Mattress angels woo! And I think about 2 chapters left**

**Kakashi-luver: It must ends sometime I'm afraid **

**Powergirl24: he wouldn't be Daryl if he wasn't a sexy stubborn ass.**

**Idioticnoise: Hope you liked his confession **

**Viktorskrumpet: My updates make your day, your reviews made mine I'm glad you liked his reaction, I had to think about the why he would react because I wanted him to still be in character even though I have him as a slight softy in my story. I'm glad you like it I never would have thought anything I would write would be called a gem ! **


	13. Chapter 13

**Last chapter I mentioned another Walking Dead fic I was working on, it's out now called 'When all else fails, hope remains' and it is another Daryl fic, just can't get enough of Norman Reedus I guess. So yeah check it out if you feel like it and once again thank you for all my fantastic reviews!  
And I recently got an e-mail saying 'Shane Walsh is following you on twitter!' Best day ever! By the way, link to my Tumblr is my profile if you wish to ask me any questions/talk (Smiley face)  
I never actually know if people read this part..** **Go on my profile and click a link to see my personal message to you guys! **

Under the strain of Daryl's relentless fists the bathroom door shook on its hinges. His breath stuck in his throat when he heard the lock to the bathroom door click, surprised he could hear anything over his heart beating in his ears. He froze, his hands raised in front of the slightly opened door.  
"Aurora?"

He nudged the door open with this finger tips as though by doing it slowly he could lessen the pain if he was proved right and his lover was deceased behind the door.

Daryl gasped.

Aurora had crawled back into the shower to cry. Her back was pressed up to the corner of the shower, her knees pulled up to her chest and her arms crossed on top of her knees to be used as rest for her head. Her head was facing down, not moving, not speaking.  
Blood dribbled down her wrist, knee and leg and down to the shower floor where it puddled, dripping with the same repetitive tapping of water falling from the shower head.

Fighting against the grief and fear that held him rooted to his spot at the doorway, Daryl inched forwards until the smell of iron from her blood spurred him forward. He jumped into the shower compartment, his hands reaching forward and holding his lovers head.

"Rora?" he asked quietly, moving her head up so she'd face him. Guilt washed over the hunter once he glimpsed her red, tear stained face, he had done this too her.  
"Rora I ain't playin' w'ich you!" Daryl snarled though there was no venom in his utterance, he could never be mad at her, not after he had done this to her.  
"Aurora Walsh!" He growled, shaking her shoulders roughly. A whimper escaped her lips and Daryl froze, unsure he wanted to believe he had heard the noise in case it was his head playing a cruel joke.  
Bright blue eyes fluttered open slowly, dazed and tired, to stare vacantly at the squirrel hunter.  
"Rora," He mumbled, one hand flying to her cheek, his thumb gently sweeping under her eye, while the other grabbed her blood smeared wrists, which he felt stupid about forgetting for the moment.

"Why did you do this?" Daryl snarled, as he yanked her wrists further under the dripping water so he could assess the damage she had done to herself.  
"Do what?" Aurora mumbled as she was roused from her slumber.  
Daryl glanced down at the wrist still held in his painful grasp and glared as he swept his thumb over it repeatedly.

"The fuck?" He growled pulling the wrist up to his face and grabbed the other one to examine that as well. A small trail of smudged blood dripped down from the palm of her hand and over her wrist. Daryl glared as he opened one of her hands, which was closed in a small pale fist, he growled as her fingers uncurled. A razor blade from the discarded packet had dug into the palm of her hand, a small trickle of blood coming from it and obviously running down her wrists. Aurora looked on questioningly as Daryl leant back to examine the blood on the shower floor, it made sense now!

For whatever reason, though he assumed it was his fault, Aurora had been holding tightly onto a razor blade when she had fallen asleep, the cut the razor made had bled and the water dripping constantly from the shower head diluted the crimson liquid until it flowed down her wrists, folded legs and pooled on the floor. He was wrong, thank whoever was listening to his prayers, he was wrong about her trying to end it all, his Aurora was safe, she was alive, even if her hand would more than likely hurt when she shook away the sleep.

Daryl bit out laugh, "You stupid woman." He barked as he shook his head, let go of her wrists and pulled her to him.  
"What?" Aurora mumbled against his chest as she tried to pull away, only to have one of Daryl's large hands guide her head back to his chest before holding her tighter.  
"Why am I stupid?" Aurora growled at him but made no more attempts to move because no matter how angry she was with him he was comfy and she missed being in his arms. Daryl made no response but kissed the top of her head.

"I asked you a question." Aurora mumbled into his chest getting angry at him ignoring her.  
"You are so stupid." He grumbled into her brown locks. The hunter let out a manly gasp of surprise when he felt his lover's fist connect with his stomach as he was forced away from her and back onto his backside. Aurora jumped up, stumbling because her legs ached from being folded for so long, before she pointed down at the slightly bemused squirrel-murder.  
"You have no right to talk you me you ass!" she scowled as she stepped out of the shower compartment, "I'm going to my fort, you stay here or leave, I don't care!"

Daryl smirked, he hadn't realised before how hot Aurora was when she was truly angry nor how cute she could be when proclaiming ownership of a fort. Daryl jumped to his feet following Aurora who had now gone into the other room, the one which contained her fort, and was refusing to turn to face Daryl.  
"Rora," Daryl smirked, trying to get her attention as he followed her, slightly amused when he thought about the emotional change he'd gone through from depressed thinking his Aurora had left him to shameless playful flirt and as much as Aurora ignored him, she loved it when Daryl was in this mood as she was the only one who ever had or would see that side of him.

"Go away." She snapped when she sensed him behind her but her warning was ignored and two strong arms slid around her waist, pulling her back flush against his front.  
"And if I don't want too?" Daryl breathed against her ear, grinding his hips against his lover's backside. Aurora sighed and Daryl knew she was biting her lip in the sensuous way that he liked.  
"You don't have a choice." Aurora grumbled as she pulled herself reluctantly away from him and stepped forward to tug at the cover that made the roof of her fort.

Daryl pinched his brow to stop himself from lashing out, he was trying to make amends for upsetting her, he was just happy she was alive, couldn't she see that? The blonde growled at his own stupidity, of course she didn't know, she'd been asleep when he'd proclaimed his feelings through the door.

With a smirk, that would have scared Aurora had she seen it, Daryl dove forward and tackled his lover into the fort. Aurora squealed when she felt herself jolt forwards and raised her hands to protect her head before she felt Daryl's arms, tight and strong, around her as she was spun so that she landed on the vest clad man. Daryl sniggered as Aurora struggled between his arms and the covers to gain some space so that she could beat the squirrel loving hick to death.

"Get off of me before I kill you!" Aurora groaned and Daryl barked out laughter at her antics. They paused, as the rest of the fort fell in on top of them covering the pair as Aurora squirmed around in her lover's arms.  
"As if you could." Daryl smirked up at her but regretted it when she shifted her leg between his, pushing his manhood in an awkward position in his jeans, "Whoa! Watch out!" He warned.

Aurora smirked down at Daryl who gulped and in an attempt to save his pride, spun them both over so that the young woman was trapped beneath Daryl, both her hands and legs pinned.  
"Now this gives me ideas," Daryl smirked, pressing his face against the nap of her neck, his breath and facial hair tingling against her skin making her whine.  
"Well you can keep your ideas to yourself." Aurora told him without a lot more reserve then she felt, all her body was screaming for her to just lay back and let him make her scream like she knew he could but she couldn't be with him when he knew her feelings towards them and didn't return them, zombie apocalypse or not, Shane had brought her up to take shit from on one.

Seeming to know what she was thinking, Daryl groaned in annoyance against her neck, tickling her once more, "Look I did tell you but you were playing lets-be-stupid in the shower."  
Aurora frowned, "What the hell are you going on about? Tell me what?"  
"That thing."  
"What thing?" Aurora asked, completely confused and oblivious to her lover's awkwardness.  
"You know, _the_ thing."  
"Well obviously I don't know, now either tell me or get off and out." Aurora growled as she tried to move her wrists that were still pinned above her head.  
"You're hot when you're angry." Daryl told her as he pressed his lips against her jugular.  
"Then I must be a fucking a painting because I'm beyond furious, get off me."  
"If you hadn't been stupid we wouldn't be in this situation."  
"If I hadn't been stupid? What the fuck did I do?"  
"You decided to hold hands with a frickin' razor, what were you playing at anyway!"  
Aurora looked around sheepishly, "I shaved my legs."  
"With just the blade?"  
"I'm cool like that."  
"You're ah idiot."  
"And you're still here, now get off me."  
"No."  
"Daryl!" Aurora growled a warning and lifted her hips in an attempt to get away, succeeding only in brushing her lower half against Daryl's jean confined arousal.  
"Will you stop that? Unless you're gonna finish what cha' start," Daryl winked, the tip of his tongue running over her neck making her gasp and moan, "Look you aint dead and I said the thing, so we're fine to get to it."

"Get to what?" Aurora asked exasperated. In response Daryl smirked and ground his hips against Aurora's making both of them gasp.  
"But I still don't understand what you mean by 'the thing'?" Aurora argued, trying to keep her head on as his hips moved against hers making her whimper with arousal.  
"You know." Daryl mumbled, the whole idea of what he had said making him feel awkward once more.  
"No, I don't." she sighed, this discussion was going nowhere.  
"I said the thing you said."  
"If this conversation going anywhere, or mnore importantly, why aren't you going?"  
"What so you can sit and cuddle the chink again?"  
"Excuse me?"  
"I saw you with him!"  
"When?"  
"I came back to see you and you were all cosy."  
"Why did you even bother coming back?" Aurora growled.

"Because I – you know."  
"No, I don't know! Thats my point, you think I'm a fucking physic or something."  
Daryl pushed his face into the crook of Aurora's neck once more and swore inwardly it was his favourite place, he mumbled incoherently against her skin.  
"What?" Aurora asked, not being able to understand him so he mumbled once again which made Aurora ask him again.

"I said I –" Daryl broke off into a mumble once more.  
"I swear Daryl tell me now or I'll go find Glenn –" Aurora was cut off by Daryl smashing his lips to hers and engaging her in an angry, aggressive kiss until both tasted blood and iron.  
His hands tightened around the woman's wrists and Aurora knew she'd be bruised tomorrow, his nose brushed against hers as he growled down at her, his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Listen to me because I'm only going to say it once," Daryl snarled, and Aurora quivered beneath him, "You are _mine_, not that chink's and if you think about leaving me for him I'll throw the bastard china man to the fucking walkers because I love you and now I've had to say that twice and that makes me pissed so you better cheer me up."

Aurora blinked, the realisation of his words sinking in, she tugged her wrists until Daryl released them and sat back until he was straddling her. The brunette simply watched him, it was obvious that he thought she was rejecting by removing her hands. Aurora sat up and gently placed her hands on either side of his face, her thumb rubbing along his cheek before pulling his towards her and crushing her lips with her own, much like he had to her earlier. Their tongues battles sensuously as she unbuttoned his vest and he her button-up shirt. They pulled away slowly, sharing soft, lingering kisses as they did, Aurora sucking his bottom lip as they parted.

Daryl groaned, his jeans where causing him intense pain as he watched her bite her bottom lip, "Well, don't you want cheering up?" she smiled.  
Daryl raised an eyebrow, the last time he thought he was winning against the youngest Walsh she had pelted him with conkers there had to a catch somewhere.  
"I love you." Aurora told him and Daryl winced, there was the catch, he had to listen to love declarations.  
"Whats a matter?" Aurora smirked playfully, "Don't like the L word?"  
Glaring, Daryl jabbed her in the forehead, "Shut up and take your clothes off."  
Smiling brightly before slipping of her bra and throwing it out of her fort, Aurora wrapped her arms around Daryl's strong shoulders; their bare chests pressing up against one another as she smirked devilishly, "Loooooove," Aurora smirked when Daryl growled at her, "Did it burn your tongue to say it?" Aurora smirked as she felt Daryl unbuttoning her jeans.

"Yes," Daryl spat out as he leaned back to help her pull her jeans off, his own following quickly with both of their underwear flying over his shoulder and out of the fort before he dove on Aurora and covered her body with his once more, "Now shut up and make it worth my while."

Aurora smirked as they kissed repeatedly, "My pleasure." And it was.

**Last chapter I mentioned another Walking Dead fic I was working on, it's out now mentioned at the top of the page… nip on my profile to see my personal message to you guys! **

**what.: Thanks! And First chappy of other story is up,**

**Kakashi-luver: That you do and possibly a third!**

**Constantlylost: Thank you, Daryl fics are always a good way to pass time**

**Viktorskrumpet: Haha! I don't think Daryl would survive marriage! I'm glad you told me about the visualisation thing…that worried me a lot when I'm trying to describe something. I love Glenn! Oh no, you're on to me! Only playing but Thank you for you review SOOO much! (insert love heart sign that FFic never lets me post.)**

**Lucy Freebird: Thank you and sorry about the delay!**

**Wtldr: I couldn't kill her, ever!**

**HiHeidiHyde: Silly men, they don't understand innocent ladies lol Luff hunni!**

**Spanishlover91: How could anyone not love Norman Reedus? He's a gorgeous, talented man!**

**CloudGazer15: Thank you soo much! Enjoy!**


	14. Chapter 14

The door opened slowly, threatening to creak, as the small form slid through the doorway and tiptoed over the vest, t-shirt and jeans that littered the floor on the way to what resembled a dismantled fort of sheets and pillows.  
Inside the fort, Aurora groaned and rubbed her hand across her face in an attempt to remove the pain of her hangover. She groaned as she glanced down at her nude form trapped in Daryl's arms, her fort and his body heat was practically burning her.  
"Aunt Aurora?"

Aurora sat upright, well mostly upright since Daryl was stupidly strong even in his sleep, her eyes snapping completely open and her heartbeat thumping in her head with her hangover.  
"Carl is that you?" Aurora hissed into the darkness of her fort.

Outside the fort Carl crinkled his nose in disgust at the boxers on the floor outside the fort, "Yeah, it's me."  
Aurora gave an undignified 'eep' when she realised her clothes were all over the floor and out of reach, "What is it you need?"  
With another step towards the fort, Carl tilted his head at the funny musky smell in the room, "It's time for breakfast, you need to get up now."  
Aurora squirmed in Daryl's arms until she had enough room to elbow the squirrel murderer in the ribs, the blonde man groaned and bite out a curse, his hold on the woman in his arms tightening but he didn't wake.

Hearing the grunt of pain, Carl leaned closer to the fort, "Aunt Aurora, are you okay in there?"  
"I'm fine!" She shouted, the volume of her voice hurting her tender head and stirring Daryl, "don't come in! I'll meet you at breakfast!"  
"Erm, okay then," Carl mumbled before turning on his heel and tip-toeing back out over the clothes. Gently closing the door behind him Carl wondered slowly to the kitchen where his mum was sat talking to Jacqui and Carol at the table, his mum had obviously been right when she said that his father wouldn't be up for a while yet.  
"Where's Aurora?" Lori asked her son as he came and sat next to her, momentarily abandoning her conversation with the other women.  
"She's gonna come in a minute, I think she's sick." Carl told her, his eyes glancing around at all the adults holding their sore heads.  
"Sick?" Carol asked, gently pulling her fingers through Sofia's hair, "Sick how?"  
"She'd tell us if she'd been bitten wouldn't she?" Jacqui asked, looking worried.

"She just sounded like she was struggling to talk properly and the room smelt." He told them.  
Jacqui gave a knowing smile while Carol looked away blushing slightly, "I'm sure she's fine, probably just recovering from a hard night."  
Carl gave them a confused look when his mum joined in with the laughter, he'd never understand adults.

When she had finally pried herself free and abused Daryl, with poking and whining, until he got up and dressed the pair headed towards the kitchen with Aurora leading the way. Daryl pinched his forehead as he followed her, surely the end of the world meant that he had nothing to get up for, especially after a night like he'd had but he figured that if he missed breakfast and tried to get Aurora to cook him something she'd probably shoot at him.

"Morning," Jacqui greeted them cheerfully, to which Aurora groaned from her hangover state and Daryl grunted, not that anyone expected more than that from him.  
"Your head hurting too?" Aurora asked Glenn as she passed the man holding his head in his hands.  
Glenn groaned in agreement as she and Daryl passed him to sit on the table they had occupied the night before.  
"I don't remember you drinking that much," Aurora mused as she watched Glenn attempt to find solace in his folded arms. Daryl, sensing he was about to be caught smirking, took a long drink from the glass of water that Carol had offered him, who seemed to have warmed up to him slightly since he'd helped her pick-axe her dead husbands face to pieces, strange how the end of the world can affect people.  
"Honestly, I don't remember half of last night," Glenn groaned, moving his head up out of his arms but instantly regretted it as his head thumped in pain, "I remember deciding that you don't tell that I'm awesome enough and then urggh."  
Aurora smiled at the man, though it her head to think back to the night before, "Well you must have gone on a one man blitz once I left you."  
"I don't even know." He groaned.

Aurora smiled but gave him no response because she didn't want to hurt her friend's fragile head, but glared when she noticed Dale was staring at Daryl, who sat silently beside her drinking some water. She turned to look at him, noticing the edge of his lip upturned in a smirk, Daryl removed the now empty cup from his lips as Aurora leaned into the crook of his neck, just below his ear.

"Did you have anything to do with this squirrel man?" She whispered against his ear tickling him slightly.  
"Wi' what?" he asked, glaring at Dale who was watching the lovers exchange through amused eyes.  
Aurora shook her head as she pulled away from her lover and sighed, there was no point attempting to interrogate him, she wasn't scary enough though she doubted he could ever be scared.

Aurora glanced up when she heard Rick shuffle into the room, "Morning." He greeted his voice thick with sleep.  
Carl grinned, "Are you hungover? Mum said you'd be."  
Rick sighed as he fell back into his chair, "Mum is right." He told his son with a strained smile.  
"Mum has that annoying habit." Lori smirked.

"Eggs," T-Dog announced as he walked around to the table from the small kitchen area, "Powered but I do 'em _good_. Protein helps the hangover." He said loudly as he poured some onto Glenn's plate who was groaning loudly while Jacqui rubbed his shoulders.  
"Where'd all this come from?" Rick asked, holding up a bottle of pills that Aurora had missed when she came in, though she planned to run over and steal them as soon as Rick put them down.  
"Jenner," Lori told him as she helped Rick open the bottle, "He though we might need it."  
"Don't ever, ever, ever let me drink again." Glenn moaned.  
"Why not, seems pretty funny to me." Daryl mumbled, seemingly unaffected from the vast amounts of alcohol he had consumed. Aurora rolled her eyes and punched the side of his leg playfully before jumping down off the table and stealing the tablets from Lori.

She jumped back onto the table next to Daryl, who had managed to acquire some of the eggs for her and himself and was already half way through his, and watched as her brother shuffled into the room and made himself a hot coffee, the three scratches down his next looking more red and angry then they had the previous night. Shane grunted as waited for his coffee, stood next to where his sister sat, and watched as she struggled with the bottle in her hands. Had he not been rejected and assaulted the night before by the woman that he loved then Shane would have laughed, he leant forward and covered both her small hands and the bottle with one of his large hands before taking it off her. As expected Aurora pouted childishly and crossed her arms over her chest as Daryl watched over her in the background, never noticed by the woman herself but always keeping an eye on her, at least Shane could rely on him for that if nothing else.

With one flick of his wrist the bottle was open and passed back to Aurora, who still insisted that she could have done it herself though they all knew different. Aurora fumbled to get some pills out as the group interrogated her brother about his wound and Jenner arrived.

"Morning all," He greeted cheerfully as though he knew that his voice was slicing into their hangovers and it didn't bother his conscience one bit. The group groaned and mumbled their greetings as the scientist approached the coffee dispenser beside Aurora and while waiting for his drink took a moment to study the woman sat beside him on the table, something that Daryl wad immediately opposed to.

"Your name is Aurora Walsh right?" Jenner asked Aurora, who swallowed her tablets and nodded.  
"What's it to you?" Daryl growled at the scientist. Jenner shook his head and smiled at Aurora who was shooting him an apologetic grin.  
"I recognise you actually," Jenner told her.  
Aurora raised an eyebrow, "How? I never really travelled anywhere while there were places still alive."  
Jenner smirked at her, "Actually I'm a big fan of your novels, I recognise you from your picture in the back of your book."  
"Oh," Aurora blushed slightly, she had been approached by fans before but that seemed like a whole other life now, and perhaps it was, "Er thank you."

"What I really liked," Jenner started, leaning against the dispenser, "Was your reflection of a capitalist society against a fantasy backdrop, it created a nice twist of verisimilitude and lore." He complimented.  
"Thank you." Aurora beamed at the man. Daryl sat watching the back and forth between his lover and the scientist, he had no idea what they were on about, he wasn't even sure if Jenner had been speaking English.

"Doc I don't mean to slam you with questions first thing," Dale started.  
"But you will anyway." Jenner mumbled as he finished preparing his coffee, Daryl still glaring at him as he ate Aurora's eggs since even smelling them had made her feel sick.  
"We didn't come here for the eggs." Andrea told him, her eyes piercing into his back and Aurora's heart, she had Amy's eyes, of course she did they were sisters after all but Aurora had no idea how much the small similarity would affect her. Discretely her hand fell down beside her and rested on it on Daryl's now free hand in between them, because he practically inhaled his food, for comfort and much to her surprise, he turned his hand to hold hers and squeezed it reassuringly before moving his hand away.

Slightly bewildered, the group followed the scientist into the round room they had met Vi and watched as Jenner approached the main computer controls and pressed a few buttons.  
"Give me a playback of TS19." Jenner commanded.

_**Playback of TS19**_

Vi's voice echoed as blue lines and words ran across the screen as the data loaded.  
"Few people ever got the chance to see this," Jenner told them as they gathered together, "Very few."

"Is that a brain?" Carl asked incredulously as they stared at the screen. Aurora, from her position next to Daryl, smiled at the boy.  
"An extraordinary one." Jenner told him, "Not that it matters in the end." He said looking back at the screen.  
The group watched as the footage enhanced onto the synapses in the brain shown through electric blue lights.  
"What are those lights?" Shane asked.  
"Those are life, experiences, memories, its everything," he turned back to face the screen for a moment, "Somewhere in all that organic wiring, in all those ripples of light is you. The thing that makes you unique and human."  
"Ya'll make sense? Ever?" Daryl asked, his arms crossed over his chest and Aurora rolled her eyes at him, to which he scowled distastefully.

"Those are synapses, electric impulses in the brain that determine everything a person says, does or thinks for the moment they are born to the moment of death." He explained.  
"Duh." Aurora mumbled, rolling her eyes at her lover.  
Daryl swatted at the woman, "Shut it." He warned, though she could see the amusement in his eyes, even if he denied it was there.  
"Is that what this is? A visual?" Rick asked advancing towards the scientist.  
"The playback of the visual." Jenner told him.

"This person died?" Andrea asked, her voice shaking with emotion, "Who?"  
"Test subject nineteen," He told them, "Someone who was bitten and infected and volunteered to have us record the process. Vi scan forward to the first event."

The group watched as a mass of dark vein like lights rested at the base of the subject's brain.  
"What is _that_?" Glenn asked, suddenly more awake and painfully sober.  
"It invades the brain like meningitis. The brain goes into shut down and then the major organs." Jenner told them as they watched, horrified, as the lights died out and the screen read 'subject deceased'.

"Then death," Jenner mumbled, "everything you were or will be, gone."  
Andrea looked down, eyes watering and Aurora bit her lip in the hopes of stopping it from quivering.  
"Is that what happened to Jim?" Sophia asked, eyes wide, as she held her teddy bear tight.  
"Yes." Her mother told her honestly. Depression hung over the group as Lori explained to the scientist about Andrea losing her sister.

Jenner leaned into Andrea's personal space, "I lost somebody too, I know how devastating it is." He leaned away from her to face the screen once more, "Forward to the second event…the resurrection time vary wildly, we had reports of it happening in as little of three minutes, the longest we heard of was eight hours, in the case of this patient it was two hours, one minute, seven seconds."

Aurora raised an eyebrow at the man, that was far too precise if the man actually considered the deceased just to be a test subject, he was hiding something from them.  
"Oh god." Aurora whispered as red light crackled and burned like gunfire at the base of the brain.  
"It restarts the brain?" Lori asked in disbelief.  
"No just the stem," Jenner corrected, "basically it gets them up and moving."  
"But they're dead?" Rick asked attempted to wrap his brain around the situation.

Jenner gestured towards the screen, "You tell me."  
"It's nothing like before, most of that brain is dark." Rick mumbled.  
"Dark, lifeless, dead." Jenner continued, "The frontal lobe, the neo cortex that doesn't come back, the _you_ doesn't come back, just a shell driven by mindless instinct."  
"God what was that?" Carol asked when a flash of light came onto the screen before a sharp slash ended the reanimation of the subject.

"He shot his patient in the head, didn't you?" Andrea asked of him, though both Aurora and Daryl couldn't see why everyone was so surprised.  
"Vi, power down the main screen and the work stations." Jenner commanded and it was done.

"You have no idea what it is, do you?" Andrea asked, advancing towards the man.  
Jenner glanced around them all, "It might be microbial, viral, parasitic, fungal –"  
"Or the wrath of God." Jacqui interjected.  
"There is that." Jenner mumbled.  
"And when there is no room left in hell, the dead will walk the earth." Aurora mumbled to herself, she had never been very religious but before now she had never considered that a zombie apocalypse could ever come to fruition.  
"Somebody must know something, somebody, somewhere." Andrea confronted him.  
"There are others, aren't there?" Aurora asked, "Other facilities?"

"There may be some," Jenner sighed, "people like me."  
"You don't know?" Rick growled, "How can you not know?"

"Everything went down, communications, directives, I've been in the dark for almost a month." Jenner confessed.  
"So it's not just here," Andrea stated, "There's nothing left anywhere, nothing. That's what you're really saying right?"  
Jenner looked down, defeated, not willing to catch the eye of any of the survivors he had allowed into his domain.  
"Jesus." Jacqui sighed.  
"Man I'mma get shit faced drunk, again." Daryl grumbled, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands as he moved.

"Doctor Jenner," Dale started, as polite as always, "I know this has been taxing for you and I hate to ask one more question but," Dale walked through the room, passing Daryl who leant on a nearby computer with one arm keeping Auroras hips glued to his own, "that clock, its counting down, what happens at zero?"  
Aurora gave the man a strained smile, "Trust you to notice the clock."  
Jenner gulped and glanced around, "The basement generator runs out of fuel."  
"And then?" Rick asked as Jenner began to walk off. After gaining no response from the man Rick inclined his head towards the ceiling, "Vi, what happens when the generator runs out of fuel?"

_**When the power runs out facility wide decontamination will occur.**_

"Well that doesn't sound good." Aurora mumbled, her small hand once again holding onto Daryl's strong forearm.

/

"Do you think you should have gone with them down to the basement?" Aurora asked as she splashed water over her face in the adjoining bathroom to room she and Daryl had slept in the previous night.  
"Nah, they're big boys." He grumbled from his seat atop the crushed fort, bottle of whiskey in hand.  
"And here I was thinking you were brave, not afraid of the scary empty basement are you?" Aurora teased as she walked towards him before stopping in front of him and pinching the alcohol from him and taking a deep swag of the burning liquid.

Daryl's top lip cocked up, the only warning Aurora got before she was pulled down into his lap, the bottle taken off her. Aurora scowled when she found herself trapped in Daryl's arms, the bottle she had been drinking from in his hand where she couldn't reach.  
"Hey I want that!" Aurora protested, wiggling in the man's arms in an attempt to steal his booze.  
Daryl sniggered, the closest he came to laughing most of the time, and held the brunette woman tighter and the bottle further away.

Opening her mouth to scold her captor, Aurora gave a quiet squeal of surprise as the lights died, surrounding them in darkness, her face instantly buried in the crook of Daryl's neck.  
"You're such a baby." Daryl sighed and rolled his eyes, not that she saw the gesture, as he stood up, Aurora still in his arms and turned to drop her on top of the fort remains.  
Daryl stuck he head out of the door into the hallway, "Hey what's goin' on? Why's everything turn off?"  
Daryl scowled as Jenner stole his booze as he walked by, leaning back into the room he grabbed Aurora's wrist and dragged her behind him as he followed his booze.  
"Energy use if being prioritised," Jenner explained as he took a swag from the stolen alcohol.  
"Air isn't a priority?" Dale asked from the end of the hallway, "And lights?"  
"It's not up to me." Jenner remarked, swaging once more, "Cell five is shutting itself down."

"Hey!" Daryl shouted, following him, Aurora in tow, "What's the hell that mean?"  
Jenner said nothing.  
Daryl let go of Aurora, whose steps fell beside Dale, "Hey! I'm talkin' to you. Whadda ya' mean its shutting itself down? How can a building do anything?"  
"You'd be surprised." Jenner mumbled as the explorers of the basement returned.  
"Jenner what's happening?" Rick asked as they continued to walk senselessly after the scientist.  
"The system is cutting all non-essential uses of power, its designed to keep the computers running until the last possible second." Jenner explained.

They listened as they found themselves back into the main computer room; Jenner took another deep swag of the drink before extending it in Daryl's direction, who snatched it back with a sneer.  
Jenner turned to Andrea, "It was the French."  
"What?" She asked looking as confused as the others felt.  
"They were the last ones to hold out as far as I know, while our people were bolting the doors and committing suicide in the hallways, they stayed in the labs till the end, they thought they were close to a solution." Jenner turned away to walk into the circle of computers.

"What happened?" Jacqui asked.  
Jenner turned towards them slightly, "Same thing that's happening here."  
"And what is happening here?" Aurora demanded.  
"A power grid ran out of juice , the world runs on fossil fuel, I mean how stupid is that?" Jenner asked as he began to work away.  
Shane dove forward up the stairs but Rick grabbed his friends shoulder to stop him from doing something he may regret.  
"Lori get our things, everybody go grab your stuff we're getting out of here now!" Rick ordered. As the group ran towards the door to comply with Ricks commands a siren pierced through the air, the some of the light flashing red for the moment.  
"What the fuck is that?" Shane growled. The group stilled, scared. The siren sounds louder as a box flashed up on the screen before the Vi's metallic, sterile voice sounded out.

_**Thirty minutes until facility wide decontamination. **_

The group glanced around at each other, all hoping that another knew the answers to their unasked questions.  
"Go fetch you're stuff, go, go now!" Shane shouted and the survivors obeyed almost immediately, carrying on their run towards the door.  
Rick turned at the sound of something sliding, horrified when he found the door coming up.  
"Did you just lock us in?" Glenn accused, turning to face Jenner who sat down calmly in his chair. The survivors broke into panic, both Lori and Carol holding their children close. Daryl snarled when he saw Jenner sit to start recording the process. He ran up the stairs, "Son of a bitch!" He yelled as he ran at Jenner, Aurora watched, horrified and shocked at their situation as Rick called for Shane to stop Daryl. The hunter managed to grab the back of the scientist's jacket before Shane tackled him, holding him away from Jenner while T-Dog attempted to help restrain him so that the booze bottle couldn't be launched.

"Jenner open that door now." Rick ordered as he began to approach the man.  
"There's no point, everything top side is locked down, the windows and exits are sealed." Jenner explained, not seeming slightly bothered by their situation.

"Well open them!" Aurora snapped, fear gripping at her.  
"That's not something I control the computers do," Jenner spoke calmly, "I told you, once that front door closed it wouldn't open again, you heard me say that."  
Aurora frowned from her position between Shane and Daryl, ready to grab onto either of them if they decided to dive at Jenner or each other, none of them thought he could have possibly meant this outcome.

"It's better this way." Jenner told them.  
Rick's head snapped around to face him, "What is?" he leaned forward on the desk, "What happens when the timer runs out?"  
Jenner said nothing but turned back to him computer and began typing. Shane and Rick shared a look of anger before Shane dover forward, Aurora's fingertips just brushing the back of his shirt as she attempted to intercept him.  
"What happens god dammit?" Shane bellowed and he moved to grab Jenner who stood up.  
"You know what this place is!" He shouted, mostly directed at Rick, "We protected the public from very nasty stuff!" he roared in Shane's face before stepping back to face them all, "Weaponised small pox, diseases that can wipe out half the country, stuff you don't want getting out! Ever!"

They watched, tense, as he adjusted his lab and calmly returned to his seat, "In the event of a catastrophic power failure or terrorist attack, for example, HIT's are used to prevent any organisms from getting out."  
"HIT's?" Rick mumbled.  
The group listened to Vi's explanation for the term silently, hoping it would make more sense but of course the computer would never simplify things.  
"Oh god," Aurora mumbled and the group turned to her, her mastery of words had meant she understood the deadly scenario facing them while the others didn't seem to.  
"What?" Shane snapped, his head snapping around to stare at his little sister who looked more grown up then she ever had before.  
"You can't do this, let us out!" Aurora commanded of Jenner, stepping forward as though she was going to assault him but Shane grabbed the tops of the arms and held her off the floor.  
"Do what?" Glenn asked her, fear etched in his features and Aurora struggled against her brother, Daryl stood behind her, offering no support to either Walsh.  
"It sets fire to the air." Aurora whimpered as Shane finally set her back down on her feet.

Aurora watched, heartbroken, as Carol sobbed holding Sophia close to her chest and the Grimes clutched each other, tears barely supressed.  
"No pain, no anguish, sorrow or grief." Jenner mumbled as they watched each other and the scientist helplessly.

With a growl Daryl hurled the almost empty booze bottle at the door blocking them though it had no effect on either the door or calming the man's anger.  
"Open the damn door!" he thundered as he stomped away from the door.  
"Out my way!" Shane yelled as he ran towards the door, axe swinging over his shoulder and against the door, once again doing nothing.  
Catching an axe that Glenn threw him, Daryl turned and began a fresh assault on the door with Shane's help. Carl and Sophia sat on the floor, both encased in their sobbing mother's arms, as they cried. Aurora stood beside Glenn, squeezing his hand tightly, watching Daryl, Shane and T-Dog work at the door but also listening to Jenner's conversation over the grunts from the men and the clashing of the axe's against the door.

"You know this is easier, you know what's out there, a short brutal life and an agonising death." Jenner attempted to reason with them, before glancing at Andrea, "Your sister, what was her name?"  
Andrea gulped, "Amy."  
"Amy..You know what this does, you've seen it, is that really what you want?" Jenner told them.  
"Can't make a dent." Shane breathed heavily as he came back to Rick and leant against a computer.  
"Of course not," Jenner told him matter-of-factly, "Those door were built to with stand a rocket launcher."  
"Well your head aint!" Daryl snarled as he ran at the scientist, axe swung back as he charged. With many calls of 'Whoa!' and 'Daryl!', Dale, T-Dog and Rick managed to stop his advancing without anyone losing their heads. T-Dog took the axe as Dale and Rick managed to push him back to where Aurora was being held back by Glenn, the ex-pizza delivery boy didn't want her to get involved in case she got accidentally decapitated.

"This is what takes us down." Jenner spoke calmly, "This is our extinction event."  
"This isn't right!" Carol sobbed, "you can't just keep us here! My daughter doesn't deserve to die like this!"  
"Wouldn't it be kinder? More compassionate to just hold your loved ones and simply wait for the timer to stop ticking?" Jenner asked.  
"Fuck you, let us out!" Aurora shouted, Glenn still holding onto her arm to stop her from dashing forward. Daryl's glare turned to focus on the Korean man holding his lover, he stepped towards him and pulled Aurora away from him harshly, giving her an axe and dragging her up to the door to help with his attempts.  
As the pair went to begin their attack on the door they were stunned by a gun shot behind them, before Aurora could turn to take in the situation Daryl had pulled her under him and ducked down to the floor. From her position pushed against his heaving chest, Aurora heard Rick shouting and apparently tackling the gun off of her brother.

After he let her up, Aurora and her lover started their attack on the door while ignoring Rick and Jenner shouting at each other about Test subject nineteen.  
"Daryl…" Aurora murmured mid-swing and Daryl grunted to let her continue, "What if we can't get out?"  
Aurora continued to slash at the door until Daryl stopped, she turned to him and gasped when the back of her head was grabbed roughly and her lips smashed against Daryl's. It was urgent and full of need and anger and when he pulled back Aurora tasted her own coopery blood, he rested his perspiring forehead against her own closing his eyes for the moment before pulling away and returning to his duty. Aurora sucked on her bleeding bottom lip, her eyes watering as she too continued with the effort to get out, she knew that the kiss they'd just shared was Daryl's farewell, just in case.

The pair watched in disbelief as the door hissed before sinking back into the ground. Daryl wasted no time in turning to the other survivors and barking, "Come on!"  
Aurora watched as the survivors scrambled to the doorway her heat sinking when she noticed Jacqui pulling back away from T-Dog. Daryl snarled when Aurora took off back down the slope towards Jacqui as T-Dog was pulled by Shane to join the others.

She engulfed Jacqui in a tight hug, "Please Jacqui, come with us."  
Jacqui shook her head as she pulled away from the younger woman and cupped her face in her hands, "You go and you don't look back."  
Nodding her head, with tear threatening to spill over, Aurora turned to leave as Jacqui gently pushed her forwards when she noticed Dale walking away from the door.  
"Dale, what are you doing?" she asked, dreading the answer and choosing to ignore Daryl's barked commands to get moving.  
"I'm staying with Andrea, now all of you go, if you want to get out go." Dale ordered as he walked towards Andrea. Aurora shook her head, reaching out and grabbing a hold Dale's forearm.  
"Dale no, you can't stay!" Aurora protested.  
"Aunt Aurora!" Carl shouted from somewhere behind her.  
Aurora turned to the group, all looking at her expectantly, "Get going now! I'll catch up."

The majority of the group ran, just Daryl, Glenn, Rick and Shane staying to watch her for a moment longer, "Go!" Aurora shouted, "I'll catch up! I promise!"  
With the promise fresh in their minds the four men ran to catch up with the others.  
"Please, you can't stay!" Aurora pleaded with her three friends that decided to stay and wait on death.  
"Aurora, just leave!" Andrea shouted at the brunette woman, she hated to be like this but she couldn't let someone who meant so much to Amy die unless it was herself.  
"She's right," Dale sighed, falling back into a chair, "You promised, now you need to get out."  
With one last tight hug to all three of her friends, Aurora turned on her heel, picking up an axe and put her teenage track team experience to good use and bolted through the hallways.

She took the stairs two at a time and soon she was in the main entrance watching everyone struggle against the windows and doors, "Move your asses!" She shouted as she jumped the steps and skidded between Daryl and Shane to help them axe at the windows, both men glancing over at her, obviously happy that she had kept her word and had gotten back to them so fast.

"Get down, get down!" Shane shouted and Daryl grabbed Aurora and they both leapt to the side as Shane shot two rounds at the glass.  
"The glass won't break?" Sophia cried from her position on the floor beside Glenn.  
"Rick!" Carol shouted for his attention as she fumbled threw her bag, "I have something that might help."  
"Carol I don't think a nail files gon' do it." Shane grumbled.  
"Your first morning at camp, when I washed your uniform," Carol pulled a grenade out her bag, "I found this."  
"You're gonna enforce the woman's purse stereotype here Carol." Aurora scolded lightly.  
"Get down!" Rick hollered as he dropped the grenade against the window.

Aurora squealed when she was forced to the floor, Daryl dropping on top of her to cover her head and torso with his own, giving her no room to move. After the explosion started to settle he grabbed her hand and pulled up the young woman up and soon they were running out of the window and making their way across the grass to their cars. Shane and Rick shot the first to walkers in the head a man and a woman, Aurora shooting a third between the eyes as she ran beside Carl behind Daryl. Shane shot another as they advanced to the grass hedge, Daryl expertly taking the head off a walker with one swing of his axe. They ran, shooting behind them as they did so, Aurora followed Daryl to his truck, shooting a walker advancing towards them before jumping into the passenger seat, Daryl jumped in the other side giving Aurora a cocky grin that told her he wanted her to believe he knew this was be the outcome, she didn't believe it.  
"Daryl, look they're coming!" Aurora pointed to the window they'd blown out as Andrea and Dale clambered out of it, "Come on, come on!" she chanted hoping they got far enough away from the building in time.  
Aurora watched as Lori screamed for them to get down, "Oh god." She mumbled as once again, for she had lost track of how many times today, she was pulled down, her body covered by Daryl's as the CDC exploded, fire and heat scorching the air and land. Aurora held onto Daryl tight as he covered her, the intensity of the blast shaking the truck.

As they came back up Aurora's face broke into a grin, "They made it, we made it." She breathed before turning in her seat to check on Shane in his vehicle behind them, he was safe too. Aurora leaned forward, grabbed Daryl's face in her hands and pushed her lips to his, much like the way he had done to her earlier. She pulled away slowly, which he took advantage of by kissing her once more softly.  
"I should have known we'd be fine." She mumbled against his lips.  
"What do ya' expect? Ya' got me lookin' afta' ya." He kissed her once more before grunting back into his usual 'asshole mode' that he adopted when anyone was around other than just him and Aurora. With that he pulled off and followed the convoy, none of them knew where'd they'd end up but they'd face it together as one big post-apocalyptic tribe.

**And that my friends, is what I like to call the End. It made me really sad to end it actually, my first finished fic BUT I can't wait for the second season in October! Even though I should be in university by then so it may be awhile before I can bring Aurora back to you but she will be returning! Loving the season two trailer!  
Boondock Saints story is up too, finally. As always please review and I hoped you enjoyed Aurora's story and stay tuned for the sequel. **

**Constantlylost: Norman Reedus overdose is my chosen method of death, don't die! I'll miss you *sad face***

**Lucy Freebird: I'm glad you liked it! I love cute Daryl so I had to do it.**

**HiHeidiHyde: Thankies hunni! Daft lady after my own heart!**

**CloudGazer15: Thank you! Yeah I am too =P**

**Viktorskrumpet: Thank you soooo much! I look forward to your reviews! I'm glad you liked it and found it funny!**

**SleepyHeather: I will be continuing in October when Season 2 hits the screens – cant wait!**

**Mewmew: I'm glad you liked it and yeah I am going too.**

**hope-against-faith: Haha! I'm glad you seemed to enjoy it so much and thankyou for your wonderful comments It really makes me smile when people enjoy something that I've written! Aurora will be returning to us with season two! I also have another Daryl fic up at the moment if you wanna check that out.**

**SaraLostInes: Thankyou sooo much! I'm glad you like it, hope to see you in the second season!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Drumroll please!  
Hi guys! It's Kitty, yes I am still alive! I kicked my own backside into getting this done, even though updates will be slow with my humungous workload I hope you stick around because I have A LOT of twists planned for dear sweet Aurora and her Hick.  
**

They had survived in Atlanta for a while, hiding in small shops on the outskirts of town. One night after he had seen Shane, Rick and Daryl silently killing four walkers that had found their well hidden group, Carl had decided to borrow Aunt Aurora's axe and sneak out to just outside of the building they'd holed up in to practice. Thinking himself unseen the boy had swung the axe around himself until it got stuck in a tree just when he needed it, when two walkers had advanced upon him. With a small shriek Carl jumped up for the lowest branch of the tree in a failed attempt to pull himself up the tree.  
Tears welled in his eyes as he accepted his fate and fell back against the tree and huddled in on him as the two leered over him, hissing and snarling. He squeaked in surprised as the closest one to him crashed face first to the ground, an arrow protruding the back on his skull the second following suit. Through squinted watery eyes the boy watched as a figure pulled the arrows from the back of the walkers heads before crouching down in front of Carl and shaking him by the shoulders.  
"What the fuck ya think ya playin' at little man?" Anger laced Daryl's southern accent.  
"I came out to train so I could help." Carl mumbled, looking down at his hands.  
A rough hand on his thin arm yanked him to his feet, "Well what use would you be dead?" Daryl growled.  
Carl stared down at his feet once more, "About as much use as I am now."  
Daryl's expression softened, though Carl didn't see it, he gently patted Carl's back with his large paw, "Let's get back before your mum wakes up and starts screechin'."  
Carl nodded in agreement as Daryl swung his crossbow onto his back and approached the axe in the tree and on attempting to pull it out he growled as only the handle came free in his hand. He glared at the blade still embedded in the tree, now Aurora was gonna beat his ass for breaking her axe.  
With a sigh he dropped the handle and guided Carl back towards their hide out with a large reassuring hand on the boys back.  
"You know," Carl said after a while, "I don't think the axe was really right for Aunt Aurora anyway."  
Daryl raised an eyebrow, "I dunno she had a good swing when she came after me, why'd you call her your Aunt anyway?"  
Carl shrugged, "She was always babysitting me when I was young and she wrote a series of her books for me."  
"Really? That's pretty cool." Daryl mumbled quietly as he pushed the boy back towards the ruined building his eyes constantly scanning for more unwanted company.  
"Yeah one of the best characters was a guy with two swords; Aunt Aurora would be more suited to swords." Daryl simply nodded in agreement. The squirrel murder took the boy back to his corner in the room they'd been sleeping and nodded to T-Dog, who'd Daryl had woken to take watch before running after Carl, and then left out into Atlanta on his own. He returned with the morning light with the gift of two matching katana blades from a small shop he'd found not too far away from where they were staying. Having to dispose of the four walkers in there had been worth the beaming smile on Aurora's tired face.

The road was calm save for the hum and spluttering of the motorcycle and the vehicles that followed behind it since most of humanity had died off, if only to return to consume the survivors. After being trapped underground in CDC the fresh air felt exhilarating as it caressed Aurora's skin and wove through her long brunette tresses. She leant forwards, tightening her arms around Daryl's waist and pressing her forehead to his back, between his shoulder blades, where she knew his birthmark was. She allowed herself a soft smile when she felt Daryl push back against her slightly, his silent way of asking if she was okay.

Aurora gently nodded against his back and he seemed happy enough to concentrate back on the road. The truth was that she was having another dizzy spell, she'd been having them since they'd arrived at the CDC but had been too preoccupied with Daryl's immaturity and trying not to be blown to pieces that she hadn't given them a great deal of thought and put it down to stress. Now, out in the open, she had hoped she would find peace from her dizzy spells but instead they got worse to the point that now Daryl, Dale, Glenn and Rick where on 'Aurora watch' to make sure she could stay on her own feet, she had begged them not to tell the others, she didn't need their pity or worried glances. The only reason that _they_ knew was because they'd been present when Aurora's eyes had rolled into the back of her head and she fallen out of the camper van, with only Rick's quick footwork and strong grip to stop her from meeting the ground. Her eyes had fluttered open just mere seconds later to four very confused and worried men staring at her. Daryl had stayed next to her since and if he was required to move from her side then he recruited Glenn to sit beside her and still kept his lover in view.

Sighing, Aurora lifted her head from Daryl's back at the sound of Dale's voice, she glanced around her taking in her rusting settings, over turned and abandoned cars littered the landscape around her and instantly she felt more vulnerable then she had when she had been attacked by them men at the quarry. She gently squeezed Daryl's waist as he went around the back of the camper before riding back to the front of it and swerving in between the cars looking for a route.  
"Ya'll ain't gonna fall off are ya?" Daryl asked loudly over of the roar of the engine.  
She put her chin on Daryl's shoulder and spoke in his ear, "I'm fine, keep your eyes on the road."  
Daryl scoffed, and shouting once again, "Don't tell me your fine when you ain't. I don't need you throwing another wobbly."  
Aurora rolled her eyes at him, though he didn't see it, "Because they're so much fun for me."  
Daryl's head turned slightly towards her, no doubt to chastise her or give her the glare that he set on everyone but now the only effect it had on her was to make Aurora want to lean up and kiss his cheek, just to embarrass him of course. To be honest, Aurora had been happy for his distractions rather than allowing her curious eyes to wonder over the remains in the cars.

The pair jumped simultaneously as the camper behind them hissed and spluttered. Daryl pulled up as Aurora turned to look at the camper; white billowing smoke blocked the inhabitants from her view.  
"Shit, what now?" Daryl snapped as he slid off of the bike and pulled Aurora by the wrist to the rest of the group.  
"Told ya a thousand times, dead in the water." Dale glared at the smoke as he spoke.  
"Problem Dale?" Shane asked as he jumped down from the camper and nodded in acknowledgement to his sister.  
"There's the small matter of being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no hope of.." Dale started before he caught Daryl leaning into the back of an open car and examining the contents, "Okay that was dumb." He mumbled making Aurora smile before she leaned against the car and gently played with the handle of the sword on her right hip as the one attached to her other hips clinked against the car. When Daryl had shown up after sneaking out with a gift of two beautifully handcrafted swords, Aurora had been overjoyed, she had taken swordsmanship lessons for accuracy in her novels, but curiosity shadowed her happiness. After a lot of pouty lips, doe eyes and kissing Daryl's neck, since both of them were quite partial to that, he let slip he got them to replace the axe that Carl had broken and from that Aurora had easily pieced together the rest. Of course she had pitched a fit at Carl for being reckless but still agreed not to tell his parents as long as he was never so careless again.

"We can find a radiator hose here I'm sure." Shane said assuredly, holding his gun in case of walkers or deranged survivors.  
"Find alotta stuff." Daryl mumbled as he looked through the back of the car.  
"Syphon some more fuel from these cars for a start." T-Dog proposed stepping forward with an empty fuel holder in hand.  
"Maybe some water?" Carol added, her arms wrapped around her daughters shoulders.  
"Food?" Glenn added.  
"This is a graveyard." Lori added solemnly. Everyone stopped to look at her, feeling awkward and dirty in their actions.  
"They're dead Lori," Aurora said straightening her posture, "We'll be respectful but I'm sure none of them would have wanted us to starve or let ourselves suffer more, when what we need is right before us. Why should the supplies lay here gathering dust when they can be put to good use?"  
Lori glared at her, "This is wrong, they were people with lives and families and now –"  
"Now they're dead," Aurora snapped, her demeanour taking some by surprise even if they agreed, "And they're not coming back, these things can't help them anymore but it can save us, or do you have a radiator hose hidden in your handbag?"

Lori's glare intensified until Shane's voice cut the tension, "Come on ya'll let's look around."  
Walking by her, Daryl gently touched Aurora's arm as he moved and caught her attention, "Stay with the chink, try not to kill 'im with your mood swings." He grumbled gesturing over his shoulder with his thumb at Glenn, who stood rolling his eyes. Aurora simply nodded and when Daryl walked off, Glenn wondered over to her, "You're not gonna fall over again are you?"  
Giving him a small smile, Aurora flicked his cap up slightly and stuck her tongue out at him.  
"That's enough you two," Dale said sternly, though Aurora could see his smile twitching to come through, "Time for you two to learn something."  
Happy to help, and ignore the worried glances that Rick, Dale and Glenn gave her, Aurora held various pipes and bolts that Glenn told her to and pasted him things when he pointed to them since she had no idea what any of the things she had done had aided, her and machinery didn't tend to get on well.  
As she helped Glenn remove a hose from one of the cars, Aurora glanced back over her shoulder at Shane who stood guard.  
"Oi, idgit," she gave him a smile when he turned to her an eyebrow raised in annoyance, "Have you finished with my gun yet?"  
He scoffed, "If you'd cleaned it yourself you'd know if it were ready."  
Aurora flashed him a smile, "If I'd done that I would have fallen off of the back of the bike."  
Grunting with effort Glenn muttered to himself, "Just what we need." Earning an oily punch in the arm and a stern look from the brunette writer as a reminder to him that Shane didn't know of his sister's recent wobbliness. Shane ignored her last comment, the years leaving him acceptant of his sister's sarcasm. As she and Glenn struggled, she could hear his gun clink against mental as he rested it against something before the sound of a shutter being pulled up.

"Hey," Shane mumbled after a moment, "were we short on water?"  
Both Glenn and Aurora turned to stare at him questioningly, the pair breaking into grins as Shane unscrewed the cap off of one of the many drums of water, letting it splash down onto himself.  
Glenn laughed loudly, "H-hey save me some!"  
"Yeah Shane you gannet." Aurora smiled brightly.

It felt like just moments had passed of the pair working on the car when Aurora was yanked backwards by the back of her shirt to the floor, where someone proceeded to roll her beneath a car with their foot. Anger rising, Aurora prepared herself to crawl out from under the car and rip her assailant apart but instead watched in realisation as Shane pulled Glenn under a car with him and her brother pointed at the decaying legs approaching them and then placed a finger to his lips.

Fear clawed at her momentarily but Aurora hunkered down under the car, her and Glenn exchanging anxious glances as the brunette woman slowly slipped a sword from one of the sheaths and laid faced down with it clutched in one hand, just in case. The three watched, breathe burning in their throats as they watched the decaying legs shuffle and stumble by them.  
Inwardly, Aurora cursed as her head began to spin once more, this was not a good time for another dizzy spell. Her head fell against the concrete, her eyes drifting as she felt her world spinning, she could vaguely make out Shane and Glenn panicking from their position under their car. Was it them growling? Why where they being so loud? Their snarls sounded so close, they had to be quiet or the walkers would come back. Forcing her eyes open, Aurora squealed loudly as yellow, rotting teeth snapped before her face.

**Thank you for all your lovely reviews so far! Season 2 starts here!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Genuinely sorry about the wait and my lack of updating. Sorry for anyone reading Love, Loss and Loser's, FanFic deleted it Will try and find the files again. Thanks for all the great reviews guys!**

_Forcing her eyes open, Aurora squealed loudly as yellow, rotting teeth snapped before her face._

"Shit!" She hissed as she shuffled back, the rotting face of the woman in front of her followed her as the walker began to crawl under the car. Aurora smacked her elbow into the car above her as she forced enough spaced to plough her sword between the eyes of the attacking walker. At the sound of growling she swore to herself and just managed to grab the sword from the walkers face as she was pulled out the other side of the car by two snarling walkers. She hissed as the road burned her back as she was pulled and the walkers fingers dug into her boot. She saw boots run by the side of the car as she was pulled out into the light. Her reflexes sprang into action as she lashed at one of the walkers neck, its head falling down beside her. Shane appeared, knocking the other walker back onto the floor and with his chest heaving pointed his gun down at the creature that used to be a small boy.  
"Shane no! The gun's too loud!" Aurora hissed as she pushed herself up to her knees, she was sure her back was scratched to hell; slowly she stepped over to the small walker writhing under Shane's boot. Raising her sword high, to make sure she could do it in one swing, she brought the sword down between the small boys eyes. Shane and Glenn stared at her for a moment before she pulled her sword away and wiped it on a rag that Glenn passed her.  
Shane took his foot off of the boy, slung his gun onto his shoulder and placed a comforting hand on Aurora's shoulder and looked into eyes, "Are you okay?"  
Aurora simply nodded. Her eyes flashed up to Shane as his grip on her shoulder became painful, "Then what the fuck were you playing at?"  
Aurora scowled, "Er, hiding. Same as you."  
Shane took his hand away from her, "Oh really? Because it looked like you were taking a fucking nap."  
"What's your problem? Haven't you ever been so scared you don't know what to do?" Aurora bluffed as she glanced up at Shane through wide glistening eyes hoping that Glenn didn't decide that now was a good time to come clean to Shane about her dizzy spells.  
Shane grunted and gave her, what she assumed, was supposed to be a reassuring pat on the shoulder before he walked off to find the others.  
Glenn went to open his mouth but Aurora stopped him with a small smile, "I'm fine aren't I?"  
Her friend shook his head and the pair followed the sound of a yelp to where the others stood.  
They got there in time to see Lori take Carol into her arms as the older woman sobbed, "There are walkers after my baby."

Aurora shook her head, hoping she was imaging it but seeing her lifelong friend run into the wilderness after snarls on the wind she knew that the worst had happened.  
"We have to go after him," She said making a move towards the barrier and had one leg over when she was pulled back roughly by the back of her shirt. Her head snapped round fix a glare on Daryl, who held a handful of her t-shirt. Damn sneaky hillbilly, she hadn't even heard him approach.  
"What do you think you're doing?" He snapped. Everyone disregarded them as they focused on either calming or restraining Carol or trying to make out Rick in the woods.  
"We _need _to help them." Aurora told him trying to pull away from his grip.  
"You need to stay here," He said as he yanked her further away from the barrier, "And what the fuck happened to your back." He pulled her shirt up a bit to stare at the grazes, "It looks like my back after you've had your way with me."  
Aurora scowled at his attempt at humour and pulled her shirt from him and crossed her arm in an attempt to hide her smirk, "Me and the road got better acquainted."  
Taking a step towards the barrier once more, Aurora yelped as Daryl seized her arm in an iron grip and threw her in Carl's direction and gave him a pointed look, "Keep her here." Daryl snapped as he jumped over the barrier.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

"She was doing just fine till here." Daryl mumbled as he crouched down in the woods, Rick, Shane and Glenn crowed behind him, "She reared off that way."  
"Why would she do that?" Glenn asked.  
"Maybe she saw something, spooked her, made her run off." Shane asked, glancing off in the direction Daryl had pointed before looking at the small group. Daryl hadn't stopped glaring at him from the night Shane punched him at the CDC.

Pulling his gaze away from Shane, Daryl glanced at the floor and shook her head, "I don't see any other foot prints. Just hers."  
"So whadda we do?" Shane asked.  
Rick gestured between Glenn and Shane, "I think you two should go back up to the highway, people will be worried. Let her know we are on her trail doing everything we can but most of all keep everybody calm. Especially Carol and Aurora."  
Glenn and Daryl shot Rick a look as Shane nodded. "I'll keep 'em busy scavenging cars…Why'd I need to keep an eye on Aurora?"  
Glenn gulped, "Well we didn't really get a good look at the scratches on her back, it could be a problem."  
Rick looked between them, "Scratches?"  
"She got trapped under a car with a walker, it was just the road, she wasn't bit or ote." Glenn glanced at Shane, seeing he was happy to take what they were saying without questioning their concern for Aurora.  
Shane nodded, "Okay we'lll get 'em looking for tools, keep 'em occupied." With that Shane and Glenn left.

()()()()()()()()()()()

Aurora sighed and leaned back in her seat inside the newly walker-free camper van. She groaned and rolled her shoulders to get rid of some of the pain in her back. Her stomach was doing flips and she felt the room spin even though her eyes were closed. Clamping a hand over her mouth, Aurora dover out of the camper, narrowly avoiding barrelling into Dale and she ran back a few car lengths and threw up behind a car. She coughed and slowly wiped her mouth before straightening up slightly, only to catch sight of a small body in a childs car seat in the back of the car. With a whimper she threw up again, not being able to handle the sight. 

Aurora wiped her mouth again on the back of her hand and turned around to see Dale watching her with concern glinting in his eyes.  
Aurora gave him a weak smile, "It's just been a long a day."  
Dale raised both eyebrows, "You sure?"  
Aurora walked up to him and sighed, "I haven't been feeling too well recently is all."  
"Aurora, have you been bitten?" Dale whispered so no one else could hear.  
"Of course not!" Aurora snapped before giving him an apologetic look, "Really Dale if I'd been bit I wouldn't be standing here I'd be in a ditch somewhere with an arrow between my eyes."  
Dale shook his head, "I don't Daryl would shoot you."  
Aurora narrowed her eyes, "Why the hell not! It's what I'd want."  
Dale shook his head again before he gently took her by the arm and guided her back to the camper and gave her a glass of water and an order to stay sat until she felt better.

Aurora jumped awake a little while later; she glanced around her and rubbed her face in an effort to push away sleep. She stretched and groaned slightly at her acting body before jumping down out of the caravan.  
Glenn, Andrea, Dale and Shane stood near the front of he doorway, from the looks of it they had been moving cars.  
"Yeah what was that?" Glenn asked, "All of them just moving around together like that?"  
"Herd." Shane mumbled, "I'd say that was about right. That night camp got attacked, that was a wondering pack only fewer."  
Aurora nodded, "Jenner did say whatever it is brought back only basic instincts."  
Shane cleared his throat, "Come on people we've still got a lot to do. Keep on it."  
Aurora followed her brother as together they pushed a few cars off the road. Out of shot of everyone Aurora glanced at her brother as they pushed a car, "In the woods, did it look hopeful."  
Shane coughed as they let the car go, "I may not like him but if anyone is gon' find that girl it's gon' be Daryl."

Aurora was helping Glenn get the water out of the back of the massive truck when she saw Carl stomp his way to the camper with his arms full of weapons. She glanced over at Shane to see him arguing with Lori. Again. Aurora sighed. That woman was getting on her last nerve.

()()()()()()()()()()()

"How can you tell?" Rick asked Daryl as they ventured through the undergrowth, "I can't see anything."  
Daryl kept his eyes fixed on the floor, "You wan' a lesson in tracking or you wanna find this girl and get our ass off the interstate?"  
They walked through the undergrowth examining the area for tracks when they heard a rustling and both men ducked to their knees. They crawled forwards slowly, with Daryl giving Rick silent directions for him to go one way and Daryl the other. Rick ran down and whistled at the walker taking its attentions as Daryl shot an arrow through the back of its head. Rick ran forwards nodding to Daryl as he ripped the arrow from the body's head.  
"Sophia!" Daryl's shout echoed through the otherwise unbroken silence of the woods.  
"Whaddya looking for?" Daryl asked and gave Rick a wary look as the officer pulled on some gloves and rolled the body onto it's back.  
"Skin." Rick answered checking its hands, "under the fingernails. It's fed recently." He opened it's mouth and examined it.  
"There's flesh stuck in its teeth."  
Daryl leaned down to look at it and squinted, "Yeah but what kind of flesh?"  
Rick sighed and pulled out a pocket knife, "Only one way to find out." He ripped open the walkers shirt and Daryl smirked when he imaged the face Aurora would make at this point.  
"I'll do it." Daryl mumbled taking out his own, sharper knife, he knew he would have more know how about this than Rick. He dissected the thing slowly, concentrating and telling himself that it was just a big animal, you couldn't be soft with the world how it was. Rick looked like he was going to be sick.  
"Here comes the bad bit." Daryl grumbled as he dove his gloved hands into the walkers stomach. Rick closed his eyes and tried desperately not to be sick as Daryl dug through its innards.  
"Oh yeah," Daryl mumbled, "Thing had a big meal, can feel it in there."  
They pulled out the stomach, ripped it open and dug through the contents, "This gross bastard had himself a wood chuck for lunch." Daryl grumbled.  
Rick nodded, "At least we know."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Aurora had been watching Dale and Shane argue with Andrea when the boys got back to the group. It was almost dark and Aurora had secretly been worried, Daryl could probably make it through the night but Rick or Sophia probably couldn't. She jumped down from the car she was perched on top of and jogged to the pair her heart tightened when she saw they came back alone.  
She whimpered slightly when she heard Rick, "Her trail went cold, we'll pick it up again at first light."  
Carol sobbed, "You expect my baby to spend all night alone in the woods?"  
"Huntin' in the darks no good." Daryl started his voice gruff, "We'd just be trippin' over ourselves, people'd get lost." His eyes glanced up and locked with Aurora's for the moment before he looked away.  
"But she's twelve she can't be out there on her own!" Carol protested, "You didn't find anything?"  
Rick raised his hand slightly, "I know this is hard but I'm asking you not to panic, we know she was out there."  
Daryl stepped forwards again, "We tracked her for a while." Aurora sighed at his defeated look.  
Rick turned to them all, "This is an organised effort, Daryl knows the woods better than anybody. He's gonna over see this."  
Carol looked down at Daryl's feet as Lori comforted her, "Is that blood?  
The men glanced between each other nervously.

Rick sighed, "We took down a walker." Carol echoed him. Rick said gently, "He was never near her."  
"How can you know that?" Andrea asked and Aurora shot the woman a look, Carol didn't need this right now.  
Rick and Daryl looked between each other again before Daryl shuffled on his feet, "We cut the son a bitch open to make sure."

Carol breathed heavily and sat down on the railing before turning to Rick, "How could you just leave her to begin with? How could you just leave her?"  
Rick crouched down to be at eye level with her, "I had to draw them off, it was her best chance."  
"It was all he could do Carol." Aurora said softly.  
"How was she supposed to find her way home she's just a child." Carol sobbed.  
Aurora folded her arms a defence against the new breeze and sighed, everyone had to grow up in this new world.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

Since the camper couldn't hold everyone and they only had Daryl's bike, Daryl had cleared out an old car for him and Aurora to sleep in. He'd padded it out with some blankets he's found and made a point of telling Aurora there had been no bodies in it, even though there had been. Aurora had known right of the bat that he was lying but said nothing, he was only trying to make sure she didn't freak.

The pair crawled into the back seat of the car and Daryl pulled the door shut behind them. Aurora bit her lip, she didn't like the idea of being so in closed but at the same time sleeping with the door open would be a stupid mistake.  
"I usually like the lip biting but that one seems worried." Daryl mumbled and snapped her out of her trace.  
Aurora shrugged, "Just thinking about the herd earlier, if they come back."  
Daryl lay down on the back seat and pulled Aurora to him so that her back fit snuggly against his front, "I'm here this time." He mumbled against her hair.  
Aurora smirked, "Is that supposed to make me feel safe?" She yelped when she felt Daryl pinch the top of her arm and snicker behind her.  
"You're a dick, anyone ever tell you that?" Aurora pouted.  
Daryl squeezed her tighter to him and groaned into her ear, "I love it when you talk dirty."  
She laughed and tried to shuffle away from him only to be drawn closer and have him kiss the side of her next.  
"Not tonight." She whined and feebly tried to move him off.  
He leaned up slightly on his elbow, "You not feelin' well again?"  
She nodded.  
He moved from beside her and crouched over her with a grin that she'd never seen him give the rest of the camp, "I know how to make you feel better." He grinned against her slightly.  
She grinned back and wrapped both arms around his neck, "Oh why not."

From his position in the back of his truck Shane growled when he the car Aurora and Daryl were staying in start to rock. He scrunched up his nose, he'd never have guessed the end of the world would mean he'd have to know when his little sister was getting it on.


	17. Chapter 17

Rick rolled out the bag of weapons that Carl had found earlier. "Everyone take a weapon."  
Andrea scoffed, "These aren't the type of weapons we need, what about the guns?"  
Aurora rolled her eyes. Shane sighed, "We've been through that. Rick, Daryl, Aurora and I are packing. We don't need people popping off round everything the trees move."  
Andrea put her hands on her hips, "It's not the trees I'm worried about."

"Think about it Andrea," Aurora snapped, from her position next to T-Dog against the RV, "Someone gets nervous, shoots off and a herds walking by? Game over for all of us."  
Aurora scowled at Glenn messing with an odd shaped weapon and gave him a pointed look to be careful.  
"The idea is to take the creek up about 5 miles turn around and come back down the other side." Daryl told them, "Chances are she'll be by the creek. It's her only landmark."  
"Stay quiet, stay sharp," Rick told them, "keep apart but stay within sight of each other. Dale stay on with these repairs. Don't wanna stay here a minute longer then we have to. Be careful out there."

While Lori and Rick argued with Carl, Aurora slipped over to Daryl was leaning on the back of the car he and Aurora had spent the night in.  
"How're you doin'?" Daryl asked as she approached him and Aurora shrugged. Daryl glanced around awkwardly but found happily that everyone else was busy watching Andre and Dale argue about the CDC. Daryl gave her a pointed look, "I mean with, er-" he finished his sentence with an awkward cough and glanced down between her legs and then at her wrists.  
Aurora smiled at him, in their _intimate time_ last night Daryl had given her some bruises and the lack of space in the car combined with Aurora's clumsiness as she fell slightly off of the car seat Daryl had hurt her, as he like to put it, _down there._

"I'm fine." She gave him an amused grin and pressed her lips to his rugged cheek as he glanced around and bit down on his numb nail.

()()()()()()()()()()()()

They walked single file through the dense bush of the woods. Aurora followed Rick, a sword in hand, and Andrea stomped behind her. They paused when Daryl stopped and raised his hand. They all crouched down.  
"Think she could be in there?" Shane asked coming up behind them.  
"Anything could be in there." Daryl mumbled and he creeped away from the group, taking Rick and Shane with him to examine the tent. Daryl turned to them and motioned for them to stay still. He approached the tent slowly, knife in hand and checked around it before opening it apprehensively.  
"Kids got some bollocks." Rick whispered to Shane who just grunted. They watched as he crawled in and Aurora tensed hoping he'd come back in once piece. Unable to disappoint her Daryl emerged a moment later when Carol shouted him. He shook his head, "Ain't her."  
"What's in there?" Andrea asked.  
Daryl shrugged, "Some guy, opted out. Ain't that what he called it?"  
Aurora stepped towards them pausing when she heard something. Daryl smirked when he saw her cock her head curiously to the side before he heard it too and apparently everyone else. They took off in the direction of the chiming. 

"Damn it's hard to tell which way out here." Shane grumbled as they came to a stop.  
"If we hear them maybe Sophia does too." Carol said.  
"Some is ringing those bells," Glenn smiled, "There could be others."  
"They could be signalling they found her." Aurora suggested.  
"She could be ringing 'em herself." Shane countered as they followed their hearing.

They finally came upon a small white church and graveyard. "Can't be it, got no steeple." Shane grumbled. The group sprinted to the building. Rick, Daryl, Shane and Aurora at the front of the group in front of the doors. They waited for Rick's signal before pushing the doors open. They were met with three people sat facing away from them. At least they _were_ people. Aurora grimaced as they turned to face the group, growls in the back of their throats. While Shane, Rick and Daryl entered further into the room, Aurora staying in the doorway in case any walkers tried to get at the rest of the group she'd be there to stop them. All three men attacked their walkers heads, the only difference in attack being Daryl's kissing noises and immediate jumping away from his walker while Shane and Rick were content to beat the faces of theirs.

Rick screamed for Sophia while Daryl sauntered up to Jesus Christ on the cross, "Hey JC, you take a request?" He mumbled before turning back and washing his gaze over Aurora, she held one of the swords tight in her grip but she'd gotten paler over the past few days and Daryl wasn't sure how she really could in this weather. Feeling his gaze she glanced up and her expression softened but she didn't smile. She was too worried about Sophia.  
The church bells started again and Daryl bolted past the others and out of the door with Glenn hot on his heels. When Aurora got outside, glancing around in case any other walkers had heard, Glenn had already unplugged it.  
"On a timer." Daryl breathed.

"I'm going to go back inside for a bit." Carol whimpered. Aurora followed and sat in the back row and closed her eyes. She hadn't been a church person when the world was still alive, when she had gone it was either for weddings or to fetch her drunken mother home before she embarrassed herself in front of the neighbours. She felt someone sit beside her but she didn't bother to open her eyes. They sat in silence listening to Carol pray and as tears attempt to escape her closed eyes, Aurora felt a rough hand slip into hers and squeeze. Swallowing back her tears, Aurora squeezed back and opened her eyes to watch Carol turn to leave. She felt Daryl let go of her hand and followed him, sometimes she was happy he was the silent type.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Under the shade of the tree, the sun wasn't so disagreeable on Aurora's face. She glanced over as Shane approached clearing his throat, "Ya'll gotta follow the creek bed back. Daryl you're in charge. Me and Rick we just gotta hang back, search this area for another hour or so, be thorough."

"Splitting us up? You sure?" Daryl asked.  
"Yeah," Shane sighed, "We'll catch up with you."  
"I wanna stay too." Carl protested as he stepped forwards, "I'm her friend."  
Shane and Rick glanced between each other before Rick gave Lori a look. Lori stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Carl, "Just be careful. When did you start growing up?"  
Aurora leaned back against the tree while Lori and Rick talked about her taking a gun. The group made to split apart but Aurora stayed by the tree until Daryl turned to her.  
"Whaddya doing?" he scowled at her.  
Aurora stretched slightly feeling the groups attention on her, "I'm gonna stay around here for a while with the guys."  
Daryl chuckled slightly and shook his head, "No ya not."  
Aurora raised her eyebrows at him, "Says who?"  
"Says the fact ya can't keep on your feet."  
"What does it look like I'm doing now?" Aurora snapped.  
Shane took a step forward, "We don't have time for this. What's goin' on?"  
Daryl extended his arm in Aurora's direction, "I ain't standing for this bullshit that's what going on." He stormed over to her, and despite her yelp of protest, Daryl snatched her by the arm began to drag Aurora back.  
"On your feet?" Lori's eyes narrowed, "What's wrong with you? Are you infected or something?" Lori hissed at her.  
Daryl snarled at Lori making her jump. Glenn, playing peacemaker, stepped forwards. "She's not infected Lori, she's just been a bit ill recently."  
Rick nodded his head, "It hasn't really been a problem but I think you should go back with the others Aurora."  
Shanes eyes narrowed dangerously, "You knew about this?"  
The men looked between each other wondering who was going to attack each other first, Glenn was pretty sure that he stayed out of the way until Shane and Daryl knocked each other out he'd survive this fine.

Aurora sighed and ripped her arm out of Daryl's grip before walking off, "Well come on then, the creeks not going to check its self." The group followed her apart from Daryl who stood back for the moment to carry on his staring contest with Shane until Carl spoke up, "It's okay Daryl, Dad says women aren't meant to be understood." Daryl smirked at him.

()()()()()()()()()()()

Aurora trudged through the woods beside Glenn, she had uncrossed her arms and shoved her hands in her pockets when Daryl had threatened to take her gun off of her if she carried on acting like a child. Aurora had stuck out her bottom lip and made her eyes as big as she could and even though she and him were speaking in private it had taken her a while to convince him to leave her gun alone.  
"So this is it?" Carol asked and the others turned to her, she had sat down on a large trunk, "this is the plan?"  
Daryl sighed and leaned against a tree, "Guess the plan is to whittle us down into smaller and smaller groups."  
"Carrying knifes and pointy sticks." Andrea grumbled.  
"Don't underestimate a sharp stick." Aurora mumbled but was ignored.  
Andrea glanced at Aurora but at Daryl's glare she focused her attention back on Lori, "I see you have a gun."  
Lori looked up, "Why you want it? Here, take it." She told her as Lori held it out to her. "I'm sick of the looks you're giving me." Lori snapped and Andrea took it from her. Aurora watched the exchange, finally Lori said something that Aurora could agree with. 

Lori sat down on the log and looked at Carol, "Hunni, I can't imagine what you're going through and I would do anything to stop it. But you have got to stop blaming Rick. It is in your face every time you look at him. And that's the thing he ran, he didn't hesitate not for a second. I don't know that any of us would have gone after her the way that he did. Or made the hard decisions that he had to make or that any could have done it _any _differently. Anybody?" She looked around at all of them. "Ya'll looked at him and then you blamed him. He's not perfect; if you can do this without him go right ahead because no one is stopping you."  
Lori stopped to drink some water and put it back in her bag. She glanced up when she saw the gun offered to her and took it from Andrea.  
"We need to keep moving." Andrea said. They all moved on.

Sometime later, as the group advanced through the woods, Lori paused to look back the way they came.  
"You still worrying about it?" Andrea asked.  
"It was a gunshot." Lori reasoned.  
Daryl nodded, "We all heard it."  
"Why one? Just one gun shot." Lori asked.  
Daryl shrugged, "Maybe they took down a walker."  
"Please don't patronise me. You know Rick wouldn't risk a gunshot to take down one walker, or Shane. They'd do it quietly." Lori snapped looking back around.  
"Shouldn't they have caught up with us by now?" Carol asked quietly. Aurora glanced around at the woods, they hadn't seen anything of interest since the group had split into two.  
Daryl shook his head slightly, "There's nothing we can do about it anyway. Can't go around these woods chasing echoes."  
"So whadda we do?" Lori asked.  
"We should just carry on making our way back and looking for Sophia." Aurora reasoned as she played with one of her sword handles.  
The group turned to leave when Andrea approached Carol, "I'm sorry for what you're going through. I know how you feel."  
Carol gave her a weak smile, "I suppose you do. It's the not knowing that's killing me, I just keep hoping and praying that she doesn't wind up like Amy." Carol looked at the heartbroken Andrea and covered her mouth with her hand, "oh god, that's the worst thing I've ever said."  
Andrea shook her head, "We're all hoping and praying with you, for what its worth."  
Aurora sighed when Daryl approached the women, he had a knack for saying the wrong thing, "I'll tell you what it's worth, not a damn thing, it's a waste of time all this hoping and praying. We're going to locate that little girl and she's going to be just fine. I am the one true zen around here?"

Daryl stalked back off to the front of the group and continued walking, everyone else following behind. His ear twitched when he heard Aurora jog up to walk next to him.  
"One true zen?" He could hear the amusement in her voice.  
He scowled and kept his attentions on looking around, "Everyone giving already, load of bullshit."  
Aurora watched him out of the corner of her eye, "She'll be fine. We'll find her."

They'd been walking for a while when Aurora felt the world begin to spin. She paused for a moment and Glenn walked into her from behind, he jumped back and gave her a concerned look, Aurora gave him a soft smile and linked her arm with him, swinging her sword in her free hand as they walked. Daryl glanced back and scowled at them but said nothing when she pointed the sword in the direction of his crotch and narrowed her eyes.

Aurora and Glenn smirked at each other when they heard Andrea fighting with spider webs and mumbling to herself. They jumped when they heard her screaming and spun on their heels to run back to find her. Aurora held her sword tight, Andrea didn't stop screaming, they just had to hope they'd get to her in time. They saw the back of the walker, reaching down for the blonde woman when a horse burst into view, the rider whacking the walker in the head with a bat.  
The woman stopped the horse as the group reached them, "Lori? Lori Grimes?" The woman asked, looking around, she was thin with short black hair.  
"I didn't see that one coming." Aurora mumbled to Glenn.  
"I'm Lori." Lori said stepping forwards.  
The woman's head snapped to her direction, "Rick sent me you gotta come now."  
"What?" Lori snapped.  
"There's been an accident, Carl's been shot. He's still alive but you gotta come now. Rick needs you just come." The woman told them.

"Wow wow wow wow!" Daryl protested as Lori took off her backpack, "We don't know this girl! You can't get on the horse!"  
"Rick said others on the highway," The girl almost shouted, "in that big traffic snarl?"  
Glenn nodded.  
"Go back down the road, two miles down, names on the letterbox, its Greene!" The woman made a move to turn the horse.

"Wait!" Aurora jumped forwards and took Lori's hand in hers.  
"Don't chu think you getting' on there too!" Daryl snapped but Aurora ignored him and focused on locking her eyes with Lori's watering ones.  
"Lori," Aurora gulped back the lump in her throat and willed her eyes not to tear up, "You give my love to Carl yeah? And Rick. Please?"  
Lori nodded her head rapidly and squeezed Aurora's hand, the most they'd connected since Rick had introduced them hoping they'd be best friends. She let Lori's hand go and the horse went. Aurora pursed her lips together to stop herself from whimpering, even though there was no biological relation she'd always considered Carl her nephew. Hell she was even at the birth when Lori had also broken Rick's hand while in pain and Aurora had to take over. She was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of Daryl's crossbow and him snapping, "Shut up."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

"Shot? Whaddya mean shot?" Dale asked them as the group got back to the Rv.  
"I don't know Dale," Glenn breathed as he jumped over the railing, "All I know is this chick rode outta nowhere and took Lori."  
"And you let her?" Dale asked Daryl, shocked.  
"Rick sent her," He climbed over the rail and lead Aurora over by holding her risk, "She knew Lori's name and Carl's. 'Sides I could only stop one from going." Daryl glanced back at Aurora before walking off to the RV.  
"I heard screams," Dale mumbled looking at Andrea, "Was that you?"  
"She got attacked by a walker," Aurora told him, "Came pretty close."  
Glenn nodded, "It was a close call."  
Dale raised his large eyebrows, "Andrea? Are you alright?"  
Andrea shook her head and slammed the RV door behind her as she entered it.

()()()()()()()()

"I won't do it," Carol shook her head, "I can't just leave."  
Dale leaned on the RV door, "Carol the group is split. We're scattered and weak."  
"What if she comes back and we're not here?" Carol protested, "It could happen."  
"If Sophia found her way back and we were gone that would be awful." Andrea said and Aurora nodded in agreement.  
Daryl nodded, "Okay, we gotta plan for this, I say tomorrow morning is soon enough to pull up stakes. Give us a chance to rig a big sign. Leave her some supplies, I'll hold up here with the RV."  
Dale nodded, "If the RV is staying then I am too."  
Carol looked at both of them, "Thank you, thank you both."  
Andrea raised her hand, "I'm in."

"Well if you're all staying –" Glenn started but was cut off by Dale.  
"No Glenn no you, you're going, take Carol's Cherokee." Dale told him.  
"Me?" Glenn protested, "Why is it always me?"  
"We have to find this farm, reconnect with our people and see what's going on but most important you have to get T-Dog there. This is not an option. That cut has gone from back to worse, he as very serious blood infection, get him to that farm and see if they have any antibiotics because if not T-Dog will die."  
Aurora glanced over at the man huddled at the back of the RV and shot him a small smile. He just blinked at her. She raised an eyebrow when Daryl moved away to go to his motorbike. He picked up the rag off of the bike and pulled out a large plastic bag full of pill bottles.  
"Keep your rags off my brothers motorcycle," He threw the rag at Dale, "Why'd you wait till now to say anything? This my brothers stash." He dug through the bag naming the medications, "Some kick ass painkillers," he threw the bottle to Glenn, "Here you go." He threw the antibiotics to Dale, "Not the generic stuff either, that's first class. Merle got the clap on occasion." Daryl shrugged.

"What if we run into another herd?" Glenn argued, "me and T-Dog can't take them like this."  
Aurora placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "It's okay, you'll have me with you."  
Daryl turned round to them, scowl in place, "Like hell you will."  
Aurora glared back at him, "I'm going with them. Glenn can avoid walkers on his own but he'll nedd help with T-Dog being out of it."  
Daryl took a step towards her, "Yeah that's a good plan till you go all wobbly again and pass out."  
"At least then I'll be a decent distraction if we do run into any walkers." Aurora counted.  
With a snarl Daryl took her by the upper and began to pull her through the cars to the one they'd slept in the night prior despite her and Dale's shouts of protest.

When they reached the car Aurora kicked the back of leg and ripped her arm from his grip, "The fuck are you doing?"  
He spun around and pointed at her, "Me? You outta your fuckin' mind."  
"Why because I want to help the group? Three people are better than two."  
"Not If you don' come back."  
"Stop babying me. Yes I've been a bit off but I'm still a part of this group and need to pull my weight. I'll be damned if I'm not there and Car-" Aurora was cut off when her voice cracked and her lip quivered. She turned away from Daryl and cover her mouth with her hand and squeezed her eyes shut will herself not to cry. She whimpered when she felt two arms close around her waist. She sobbed quietly and sank to her knees at the thought of Carl lay there, pale, gone. Daryl sank to the floor with her and knelt behind her holding her still as she cried into her shirt. They stayed like that for a while, with Daryl's chin resting on the top of her head.

When he felt her quieten, Daryl leaned back to try and look at her face but it was still buried in his shirt, "Are you done?"  
He smirked when she felt him chuckle against him, "You're so sensitive."  
"Merle was always jealous of my sensitivity." He grinned. She pulled away from slightly and looked down at the floor. She felt him nudge her head to face him with more tenderness then she thought he could possess. He studied her face before putting his hands on her cheeks and wiping the tears away with her thumbs.  
"Better?" He grumbled and Aurora nodded.  
"Good," Daryl nodded, taking his hands off of her face and made a circular motion with them in front of her face, "Now take all of this and put it back here." He poked her chest. "And don't kick me no more."  
Aurora smiled at him, "That's the most romantic thing you've ever said to me."  
He pressed his lips to hers briefly before standing up quickly which made her fall back onto the road. He smirked down at her glaring face and held a hand out to him, "Ya'll make sure that boy has something pretty to look at when he wakes up." 


	18. Chapter 18

Lay back on the RV floor was his hands behind his head Daryl sighed. Between Andrea clicking her guns and Carol's relentless sobbing he was never going to get any sleep. It had been a while since he'd let Aurora set off with Glenn and T-Dog, she'd packed a small bag and hopped from one foot to the other while she waited for Glenn and T-Dog, anxious to the get the little boy whose life she'd always been a part of. Daryl scowled, the noises were driving him insane, he didn't like silence, he _needed_ silence. He needed it when he was hunting, he needed it to survive, especially since him being silent meant he wouldn't say the wrong thing to Aurora. But the noises kept him up and being awake meant thinking about his sick lover who he'd trusted with a skinny boy and a man taken with deliria. Daryl Dixon is an idiot.  
He got up from his space and slipped the crossbow over his shoulder and took his clip from Andrea, "I'mma walk the road, look for the little girl." He nodded a goodbye to Carol and jumped down from the RV. He turned at the sound of the door but made no reaction to Andrea's presence, it was obvious she wanted out of the RV.  
"I'm going for a walk, shine the torch about. Give the little girl something to look too." Daryl told Dale, who had crouched upon seeing them outside.  
His large eyebrows joined together, "Do you think that's a good idea right now?"  
Andrea made a snotty remark and carried on down the road, Daryl raised his eyebrows but said nothing, now he had one little to find, an annoyance to protect and a lover that he had to wait to see. Maybe he should have sworn off women like one of his friends from his life before all this.

\\/

"You feeling any better there T-Dog?" Aurora asked as Glenn pulled up the car outside of the farm.  
T-Dog's head rolled to the side in the front seat, his voice was horse but Aurora could hear the smile in it, "I'mma fine, whadda bout chu falin' all over the place?"  
Aurora gave him a playful grin, "It's being surround by such fine men all day, don't blame a girl for swooning."

They got out and advanced to the house cautiously, Aurora pulling T-Dog's blanket around his shoulders so it wouldn't fall.  
"D-Do we ring the bell?" Glenn asked.  
"We're past this kind of stuff, having to be considerate." T-Dog considered the pair of them stepping forwards.  
"Close the gate when you drove in?" The voice startled all three though Aurora was the only one to raise her weapon, which she lowered upon seeing the girl from the horse. She remained silent while her friends and the new comer discussed, Aurora doubted she'd be able to choke words past the bile in her throat, she felt like she was going to be sick again and hoping it was only her getting worked up about Carl, throwing up on a strangers carpet would hardly make them any friends.

They were lead to a room by this girl and Glenn and T-Dog paused silently before Aurora had got there, see glanced in and held back her sob. Carl looked so small and defenceless, like when Rick had first brought him home as a baby and Aurora had panicked about hurting him. The young brunette pushed past the man to crouch beside Lori and leaned out to hold Carl's clammy hand. He was so cold. As the old man who was examining Carl moved back the blankets, Aurora released his hand to not be in the way and instead held Lori's free hand.  
"If they don't get back soon we'll have a decision to make." The old man told them.  
Rick rubbed his face, "Yeah? Whats that?"  
"Operate on your boy without the respirator, which is extremely unlikely to work but we can't wait much longer."  
Lori left and Rick followed her as Aurora kissed Carl's hand.  
"Excuse me…?" Aurora started.  
"Hershel." He introduced himself.  
"Aurora," She said simply, "Is my brother, Shane, here? He was with Carl when he got shot."  
Hershel paused in what his was doing and gave her a sad look, "To save this little boy your brother offered to find a respirator at the local school."  
Aurora squeezed her eyes shut before focusing on the man in front of her, "If it was an easy job then you'd already have got it yourself. What do you think the odds are of him coming back?"  
Hershel shook his head, "Very slim."  
Aurora closed her eyes and squeezed Carl's hands, in possibly the safest place she'd been since all of this, she felt the most alienated.

\/

"What the hell's wrong with you people?" Daryl asked as he and Andrea continued to walk, "This is Georgia, she could holed off in a farm house somewhere."  
"She's only twelve." Andrea snapped.  
"Hell I was younger than her when I got lost, nine days in the woods eating berries, wiping my ass with poison oak till I found my way back. No worse for wear except my ass itched something awful."

Andrea laughed at him, unable to stop herself and Daryl scowled at her, since when did she think they were chummy? Aurora and Carl were the only people he had let laugh at him in camp and he was sure the latter's was just a nervous reaction to the stories his mother had no doubt fed him.  
"Anyway, difference is Sofia has people looking for her." Daryl concluded, hoping now for some silence.

He got silence for a while until the blond woman broke it, "So you and Aurora.." she trailed off and Daryl raised a brow but didn't respond, she hadn't actually asked him anything yet. "You seem very much to call the shots."  
Daryl said nothing again.  
"I mean everytime I see her you're leading her somewhere."  
No response.  
"Makes me wonder why you're watching her so bad."  
Daryl's lip twitched, "Because the world ended."  
"No I mean, we just found out she's sick, but you guys have known for a long time, why not tell us?"  
"She didn't want a fuss over nothing."  
"But is it nothing?"  
He couldn't answer.

\/

Aurora was going to be sick. She felt her head spin and the tears run down her cheeks but she refused to open her eyes. She could feel the needle in her arm and she knew if it could be then the damn thing would be smug. When Carl had woken up and had a seizure, Aurora would have happily died to stop him being in pain so she did the next best thing, she tricked Rick into leaving the room, locked the door and told Hershel to take her blood. She knew they were the same blood type.  
Hershel had refused at first, seeing Rick locked out had roused his suspicions before she sat down rolled up her sleeve and convinced him. She told him that Rick just didn't want to see anyone else hurt and silently begged Lori not to mention her dizzy spells. Carl needed blood and as long as she was sat down, passing out wouldn't be too bad.

\/

Daryl stared at the idiot walker hanging by his next before him and told Andrea to be sick if she needed to be, sick had never bothered him. Though he supposed it would if Aurora was ever to be sick, the dizziness he could just about handle but both would mean they'd have to confront what he was starting to suspect, something was _very _wrong and in this world they couldn't afford that.

Andrea was finally sick after Daryl described this man's tortures and he tried not to smirk, she just looked so put out by everything and it was good payback for laughing at his ass.  
"Come on lets head back."  
Andrea stopped him, "Aren't you gonna?"  
"No, he ain't hurting no body, made his choice, opted out." Daryl reasoned. Andrea stepped toward the shouting walker and stared at him.

"Could you do it to Aurora?"

The question hung heavy in the air around Daryl as he snarled, "Whats that got to do with ote?"  
She didn't turn to look at him, "Just saying with her health as it is, would you? _Could_ you?"  
Daryl sneered at her, "Her health the way it is? She's fine. Survived everything we've had so far."  
Andrea seemed to contemplate the answer, "But if you were hiding her problems from us, from her brother, then what must she be hiding from you?"

\/

Aurora sat in Carl's bedroom, arm newly bandaged, and tried to listen to Rick talk about Carl and the deer. And how she tried but the voices swam around her head and echoed like they were far off and underwater. Rick wasn't talking to her, he'd let it be known that he was grateful but he said no more for fear of shouting at her and disturbing his boy. She knew what she did was foolish but she needed to do it and she planned to do it again when Hershel asked, though she conveniently not mentioned this to Lori or Rick.  
She felt her hair moved and raised one weak arm to brush her finger tips over Glenn's cap that had found its way to her head. She'd missed this cap, it had after all had a hand in getting her and Daryl to the bedroom.

A little while later she felt herself be moved and placed on a hard wooden surface, she groaned hearing Ricks voice, an apology? For what? She moved her hand, feeling the edge of a table, she'd been moved to the kitchen. Even in her clouded world it made sense, Rick was too weak to carry her much farther, T-Dog was injured and no one else could move her without the risk of hurting her. And no one wants to hurt a dizzy young woman who gave blood on an empty stomach. Especially not a sword wielding one.

\/

Shane stood at the foot of the kitchen table, his new buzz cut and clothes looking out of place of him and he held his sister so she was sat up with her back leaning on his chest. Rick was leant on the side of the table gently nudging her face.  
"Rora? Aurora? Come on you gotta wake up so you can eat something," Rick tried as he gently shook her until she opened her eyes slightly, "That's it, you don't even have to open your eyes, we just need you to eat."

Rick held the chocolate to her lips and urged her to eat, she need sugar right now and then when she'd woke up a bit they planned to move to her on to more substantial food. Rick was glad she wasn't properly awake now, Patricia hadn't calmed yet and he didn't want the young woman to go through that yet.  
"I can't remember a time she hasn't wanted chocolate." Shane attempted to joke but he voice held no amusement.  
Rick nodded and to his relief Aurora had started to nibble on the chocolate, "Made sure to buy it her every year, birthdays and holidays."  
Shane nodded, not in the reminiscing mood.  
But Rick continued, "I remember when the only thing she had to worry about was your mum coming home blind drunk and hitting her or ripping up her book drafts, I think the second got to her more. At the time, finding her hiding when we'd get to yours, it felt like the worst thing in the world, no I'm not so sure."  
Shane nodded again, "Mum was real bitch when she wanted to be, knew how to get to her, blame her for dad leaving."  
They remained in silence for while, Aurora out of it but managing to nibble on some chocolate until Rick laughed to himself, a half laugh. Shane looked up at him, "What?"  
Rick smirked, "Imagine how Daryl would be reacting right now, probably running around like a headless chicken."  
Shane sneered, "Or trying to beat up Glenn again."  
Rick scowled, "What?"  
Shane waved it away with is hand, "Back at the CDC."  
Rick thought for a moment, "So that's what happened to your neck?"  
"Yeah that's what happened."


	19. Chapter 19

For a man who loved silence, Daryl sure enjoyed the sound of his bike, possibly all the more since he knew it would take him to Aurora. He jumped of his bike and glared at the group of people who came to meet them, a few he knew and most he didn't but he couldn't find the face that he was looking for.  
"He'll pull through," Lori said emotionally, "Thanks to Hershel and his people."  
"And Shane and Aurora." Rick added helpfully. Most of the group moved forward to hug Rick and Lori, Daryl kept back, looking in the windows of the house. She must be in there.  
"How'd it happen?" Someone asked  
"Hunting accident." Rick explained, "That's all just a stupid accident."  
"Whats that gotta do with rora?" Daryl asked.  
Rick looked guiltily at the ground, "She managed to lock me out of the room and –"  
"And what?" Daryl snapped.  
"Look it was her idea, she wanted to do it." Lori reasoned.  
Daryl clenched his jaw as Hershel intervened, "The young lady you are talking about helped to give blood to save the little boy, nothing to get yourself worked up over."  
Daryl glared at them, "You let her give blood, when she could barely keep herself up?"  
Hershel scowled at Daryl and then Lori, "I was not made aware of any health issues. Either way we have business to attend to and you may she her after that," Daryl went to interrupt but Hershel stopped him, "She is resting and if you disturb that rest it will only take her longer to get out of bed. You may see her later."

The funeral was short and sweet and would have been more moving Daryl supposed had he not been itching to invade the house and make sure that Aurora was okay. It was only when Shane stepped up to talk that Daryl took notice, something wasn't right about it all.

After the funeral the crying woman, Daryl didn't know her name, told him which room Aurora was being kept in and he set off to find her, stopping only to pop his head in on Carl so he could report to his lover how the boy was doing. He took pushed the door open quickly and slipped in and moved to sit on the bed she was in. She was pale, paler then even when she'd seen him last but even in that paleness her face looked fuller and he assumed he had Rick to thank for making sure she ate.

Aurora moved slightly and opened her eyes for the first time in what felt like weeks even though she had been awake in the middle of the night and even allowed to visit Carl with T-Dog carrying her. She felt like hell and though she was relieved to see Daryl perched on her bed she knew it was going to get worse before it got better.  
She braced herself for his scolding, "Any ever tell you you're cute for a hick?"  
He turned to look and scowled, "Anyone ever tell you that you're an idiot?"  
"Harsh."  
"I trusted to stay out of trouble until –"  
"I wasn't in any trouble."  
"Then you are now. You can't even be trusted to look after yourself."  
"I wasn't the important one, I needed to help."  
"Do you have a death wish?"  
"Is that a threat?" Aurora asked, jutting her chin defiantly.

Daryl shook his head, "You know it aint. But you go round doing stupid things and they'll catch up to ya and maybe I don't want that."  
Aurora pulled herself so she was sat up, "Might be easier."  
"What do you mean?" He narrowed his eyes.  
She avoided his gaze, "It doesn't matter."  
He turned her head softly to face him, "What do you mean?"  
Aurora let out a long sigh and moved her head away from his hand, "I'm not an asset to the group right now, I'm a liability and we don't need those."  
"That's why I'm looking after you till ya get better, can't be long now."  
Aurora gave him a small smile, "Guess you're right."  
Daryl winked at her, "As usual, now I gotta go to plan our routes for Sophia, need anything?"  
Aurora shook her head and kissed him goodbye, hissing when he purposefully prodded her injection bandages and fled the room before the pillow she threw could hit him.

\/

An hour or so later, after Daryl had left, Aurora got out of bed and got changed, feeling better now than she had since the CDC even though she still felt a light sort of pressure on her abdomen, but she shrugged it off, it could be her body getting used to food again or maybe she just needed to use the bathroom. She changed into loose top just in case she happened to get too warm again and went outside. She smiled to Glenn as he walked by and gestured for her to follow.

They arrived at the well, Dale having taken them all up to speed on the situation. Aurora leaned over to look in the well at the snarling, bloated walker, "That is one ugly mother fucker."  
"Language." Dale quipped, "You're starting to sound like Daryl." Aurora simply smiled at his amused glance.

"We can't leave it in there, god know what its doing to the water," Lori stated, a surprisingly valid point from her. She listened to them argue about shooting it, the most ridiculous idea she'd ever heard.  
"It has to come out alive." Someone offered.  
"So to speak." Shane mumbled.  
"At least intact." Aurora said crouching beside the well, one hand firmly on the ground should she have a dizzy spell.  
"How do we do that?" Glenn asked.

Aurora watched as they lowered the meat down or the walker, she'd chosen to sit crossed legged, she didn't need to be falling in and she was damn clumsy sometimes.  
"They're not going for it." Dale look surprised.  
T-Dog scoffed, "Cause its not kicking and screaming when he's trying to eat it." Aurora smirked, through the harsh morbidity of it, something about that tickled her and T-Dog shot her a grin. Life was surprising good to say it was being ruined by the dead.  
"We need live bait." Andrea smirked at Glenn.

In a few moments Glenn was being tied up by Shane, "Have I mentioned I really like you're new hair cut?"  
Aurora snapped, "No, we're not doing this. I'm not letting it happen." Maggie voiced her agreement and Glenn gave them both thankful looks.

"Don't worry about it, we're gonna get you out in one piece." Shane offered, "We wouldn't do it if we didn't think it would work."  
"_Living _piece," Glenn countered, "the living bit it important."  
Aurora moved next to Maggie and resisted the urge to cover her eyes.

"Doing okay?" Maggie asked down the well to Glenn.  
"Doing great, "He mumbled, "living the dream."  
"Glenn remember, you're awesome," Aurora shouted, not wanting to move from beside the well, "I keep forgetting to remind you."  
Aurora glanced up and noticed Maggie giving her a look and tried not to smirk. So Glenn might have some action on the cards? She'd make it clear that she was not threat later, probably with a public display of affection that she could bother Daryl with, that'd get him back for poking her injection.

The pivot broke and the group scrambled across the floor trying to pull their friend back up from the well as he screamed to be pulled back up. Together they got him out and Glenn through himself to the floor with Aurora and Maggie on either side close to him.  
"Back to the drawing board." Dale sighed.  
Glenn smiled breathlessly and he pushed himself up to kneel, "Says you. I'm awesome." He didn't get to say anything else as Aurora tackled him with a hug and scolded him, "You crazy bastard."  
Glenn laughed and mumbled about Daryl killing him. Aurora paused in her laughter and doubled over in pain. Fortunately only T-Dog and Glenn noticed, the others were pulling at the rope in the well.  
"Aurora? What is it? Whats happening?" Glenn asked frantically.  
Aurora held her stomach and sucked in a breath, "Don't know, it just hurts, I think the rope pulled along it or something. As the pain settled off and eventually disappeared, Glenn gently lifted her shift up. No rope burn.

They had no time to question it though as they had to help pull the walker but it broke in half contaminated the rest of the water. Aurora was pissed and by the looks of it so was T-Dog, he looked so done with everything and smashed the walkers face in with the ladle that he was holding.

\/

Aurora had been flicking through some of Patricia and Hershel's medical books in the RV, wondering how she could have written these diseases into her novels when Shane returned but he didn't notice her.  
She closed her book, "You're getting pretty fast with your limp." She commented.  
He turned to her, glaring, his face softened only slightly, only because she was his little sister and she'd notice if something was off.  
"So what inspired the new cut, jar head?" she smirked.  
He shook his head slightly, "Just wanted everything from the next with Otis to be away from me." He answered somewhat honestly and believably. Aurora's expression softened as she rose and guided him to her chair and went to get him a drink. As she reached the doorway his voice stopped her, "I know you didn't tell me about being sick because you didn't want me to worried, but that's not the way that family works."  
Aurora nodded in understanding and left to get him some water, she hadn't felt like a family in a long time, but now she had the biggest one she'd ever had. She gave him the drink and stepped outside and watched as Rick and Hershel and a seemingly heated discussion. Aurora frowned, she knew what it was about, she'd heard snippets while going in and out of consciousness, Hershel wanted them gone and soon and she wasn't sure she blamed him.

Aurora was finishing setting up her old tent from their first camp outside the RV when Daryl arrived back, with a flower in a beer bottle. Aurora gave him and questioning look which he acknowledged and jumped into the RV. Aurora was glad she had finished her tent as it gave her a gave place to hide her emotions as she heard Daryl talking to Carol. She wasn't sure what to feel, she felt so sad but uplifted and confused. Oh there was a lot of confusion. She didn't hear the tent unzip so she couldn't help the small squeal when Daryl's arms were around her, his eyes shone with silent concern.

Aurora wiped her eyes and gave him a soft smile, "That's a wonderful thing that you did." She kissed his cheek.  
He smirked, "If it was that wonderful maybe a kiss somewhere else?"  
Aurora laughed and playfully hit him, "Its your fault I'm so dizzy, you can't keep your hands to yourself."  
"But where's the fun handling myself when I could handle you?"  
"I bet you say that to all your ladies."  
"Only the ones that aren't tryin ta eat me."  
"But Merle accused me of just that." She joked, sobering when she saw him pause. Why would she bring him up? Stupid. Aurora opened her mouth to apologise but was stopped with a small kiss and Daryl pulling her to sleep. Something told her tomorrow would be a rough day.

~ Flash back ~

These cars were never going to move. Aurora had accepted it but it didn't mean that she liked it. She had tried to bury her head in a book, to avoid thinking about Rick, as Shane messed with the radio and Carl played with a little girl from the car next door. Her mum seemed nice, Carol or something, the dad needed a hard metal object to his face as far as Aurora was concerned.  
"Shane will you stop playing with the damn radio?" Aurora snapped finally.  
"It doesn't make sense, theres nothing. No emergency broadcast. Nothing." Shane mumbled.  
"Well since there is nothing would you mind, leaving it alone?" Aurora offered but was simply glared at.

The pair was disturbed by a small voice next to Shane's door. A little girl, a few years younger than Carl, stood in her Minnie Mouse pjammas, her black hair in pigtails.  
"Hi sweetie, what can I do you for?" Shane asked as the girl squeezed her teddy bear harder.  
"I lost my mummy and Mrs. Thornberry says if you ever have a problem you can ask a police man." She mumbled.  
Shane gave her a comforting smile, even though he felt incredibly anxious about his radio, "That's right sweetie, I can help you find your mummy if you want."  
Aurora saw her chance, "No I can do it." She slipped out of the car door and crouched beside the little girl.  
"Is that okay with you?" Aurora asked.  
Shane smiled when the girl looked unsure, "This is my sister, she looks after me so I know that she will look after you."  
The little girl looked happy with the answer and nodded her head and held her hand out for Aurora to take.

They had been walking for five minutes, Aurora carrying the little girl for most of it, the small girl in her arms pointed at truck claiming to recognise it. She glanced at the truck and the bike in the back, it was a nice bike. But the man stood behind it scowled at her, he had a strong jaw and a thick body, "Fuck you looking at?" he snapped.  
Aurora rolled her eyes, "I was actually appreciating your bike but now I get a proper look at it, eh not worth it."  
The man barked at laugh which caused at thinner set man to appear around the side of the truck, "What the fuck you got to laugh at Merle?" The man caught sight of Aurora and acknowledged her.  
"This girl here, thinks she's funny." Merle barked.  
The little girl in her arms squirmed and Aurora squeezed her reassuringly, "I _Know _I'm funny." She said confidently before she walked off.

It didn't take her long to find the girls thankful mother and Aurora was successful in not being bitter that she'd never had that, at least she pretended to be. The grateful woman gave Aurora some dry food that she tucked away in her bag for Carl and set out on her way back. As she approached the truck with the loud mouth, Aurora was knocked to the side by two brawling drunk men. She pushed them away and carried on, getting to truck before she felt a harsh grasp on her wrist. She turned and pulled away from the drunken man who attempted to kiss her.

"Sir, if you don't leave me alone I will use force." Aurora told them, feeling confident that she could take him if it was only him. She didn't want to think about what would happen if she was attacked by two men at once.

Out the corner of her eye she saw the guy Merle and his skinny companion getting out of their truck but she was pretty sure they only wanted a show and that they weren't going to help. The man gave her a drunk smile and lunged at her again, Aurora pulled back her arm and punched him straight in the nose sending him straight onto his back. Merle slapped the side of the truck and howled a laugh, "I like her."  
Aurora gave him an unsure smile; his eyes were wild like he'd taken something. The thinner of the two men stepped on the drunken man's hand as he tried to get up. Aurora laughed and held out her hand to him, "Aurora."  
He ignored her hand and nodded, "Daryl and this heres Merle." She didn't hear anything except the explosions after that.

\ End Flashback/

Daryl lay awake that night, gently running his fingertips up and down Aurora's arm while she slept on his chest. That night was so long ago and he hadn't thought about it since. After the incident Aurora had rushed off to find her family and Merle and he packed up and carried on. It was a natural group that came together in the first camp site, with Daryl and Merle arriving later which was good because without Shane, Merle would have caused more trouble than he did.

He met Aurora again by accident, he didn't know she was part of the camp site until she returned from the quarry with a basket of wet clothes and Carl and Sophia in tow in their swimming costumes as he was skinning some squirrels by the fire. Carl stopped, "Can we watch?"  
Daryl looked up to see Carl smiling at Sophia and Aurora, who looked at Daryl, "Do you mind?"  
Daryl shook his head and Aurora placed her basket down on the floor and sat between the children, "Don't tell your mothers."

A thin bond formed between the Dixon brothers and the youngest Walsh before Merle headed off to Atlanta. Aurora occasionally watched their clothes and kept Shane of their backs about Merle's drug habits and in return they took her on the smaller hunting trips, they lasted no longer than an afternoon but she needed to learn and was happy for the help. Daryl also tended to come out for Aurora's night watches if he wasn't away hunting.

Daryl rubbed his face with one large hand, reminiscing never got anyone anywhere. He rolled onto his side and brought Aurora with him so she was lay almost under him. She pushed back against him in his sleep. Damn woman still thought he was a teddy bear.


	20. Chapter 20

After a brief argument with Daryl about her helping, Aurora was stood beside Rick as unfurled the map on the car.  
"If she made it as far as the farm house Daryl found she may have gone farther than we've searched so far." Rick explained.  
"I'd like to help." Jimmy's voice came from behind them and the small group turned to watch him as he advanced to them, "I know the area pretty well."  
Rick gave him a quizzical look but agreed.  
Shane grumbled from his seat in the car, "Anybody could have been holed up in that farm house."  
"Anybody includes her right?" Andrea countered and Aurora gave a nod of agreement, since she'd been given her gun back Andrea had been more agreeable, at least in Aurora's book she had.

Daryl held his hand out near his waist, "Whoever slept there was no bigger than this high. I'mma borrow a horse, head up this ridge right here," he pointed at the map, "Get a bird's eye view."  
T-Dog smirked, "Good idea, maybe you'll see your Chupacabra up there too."  
Rick raised a bow, "Chupacabra?"  
Dale shook his head, "You didn't hear? First night in camp Daryl tells us how the whole thing reminds him of the time he went squirrel hunting and saw a Chupacabra."  
Aurora shook her head, "Carl needed to sleep in my tent that night."  
Jimmy grinned to himself and Daryl glared at him, "What chu grinning at Jack ass?"  
"You believe in a blood sucking dog?" Jimmy asked incredulously.  
"You believe in dead people walking around?" Daryl snapped, taking his bow and slipping it over his shoulder.

Jimmy reached for a gun but Rick stopped him, "If I'm going out I want one."  
Daryl sneered at him, "And people in Hell want slurpies."  
"Come training tomorrow," Shane spoke up, "If you're serious I'm a certified instructor."  
Aurora gave the young man a small grin, "For now, you can come out with me, I'll cover you. These idiots trained me." She motioned with her hand at Rick and Shane.  
Shane shrugged, "He's yours to baby sit then." 

As they prepared to leave Jimmy was still whining about his lack of gun when Aurora pushed one of her swords into his hands, "Look kid, this is all your getting now pipe down and listen and I'll show you how to use them properly."  
Jimmy quietened as he watch Aurora hold the other hand sword and tried to copy her posture when he piped up, "Kid? How old even are you? You don't seem much older than me."  
Aurora scowled at him for not paying attention but answered anyway, "I'm 26."  
"How old is your boyfriend?"  
"Look do you want to come or not?" She snapped, putting her hands on her hips like her brother tended to, not noticing Daryl stood not far behind them, Jimmy noticed but didn't think he could hear them.  
"Just a question lady."  
Aurora relaxed slightly, "I'm not sure how old he is. Late thirties I guess."  
"You're sleeping with him and you don't know how old he is? Don't you want someone younger? Closer to your age and mine?"  
"Who I sleep with is _my _business and it's not like that matters anyway does it? And to reiterate, not you're business."  
Jimmy shrugged, "Just curious."  
Aurora pushed a bag into his arms, "Well stop being curious before it gets you beaten up."  
Jimmy looked up and for the first time realised Daryl could heard there conversation, "I'm not scared of Daryl or Shane, Hershell will just kick them out."  
Aurora smirked slightly and patted his shoulder lightly, "It's me that you should be afraid of. Daryl, Shane and Rick can do what they want but I'll still walk up and down your backside."  
She turned on her heel and suppressed a jump when she saw Daryl a little away from them readying a horse. She gave him a wink and a comforting smile with the hope of finding Sophia. Daryl gave her a sharp nod and gestured at his gun, trying to tell her to keep the safety off. He wasn't happy that she was going and having heard that interaction he hated the idea more.

\/

"I know you Shane and I know the only sure fire way to engage you in a conversation is to talk about girls you did in high school, I don't like it but I'm willing to do it." Rick told him as they walked through the woods.  
Shane pulled a face, "Let's not because then we'd have to get into yours."  
"Mine's a short story though, it's already over." Rick mumbled amused.  
"Yeah but I don't appreciate that my sisters a character." Shane snapped back.  
Rick paused awkwardly before continuing, "Yeah well that was a long time ago, I've got Lori and she's got Daryl to look after her."  
"I don't like it." Shane retorted, "He's bad news, too eager to go out and start trouble. Like when I found him holding Glenn by the neck? He's a psycho man, when we go we should just not tell him."  
Rick gave him a horrified look, "Do you have any idea what would do to your sister?"  
Shane shrugged, "She got over you, she'll get over this. I mean imagine if he knew about you two? He'd come after ya'll and Hershel would get rid as soon as he could."  
Shane paused, as though the clouds had left his mind and suddenly everything was clear. He shook his head and followed Rick, listening to his babble about finding Sophia.

\/

Aurora stalked through the woods with Jimmy following, his job was to hammer their yellow markers onto trees while they continued through their part of their grid.  
"So what was your life before all this?" Jimmy asked.  
"Why?" Aurora snapped, she felt so groggy today.  
"Just conversation."  
"I was a writer, I wrote books and I loved it. Dad left when I was a child, mum was an alcoholic. Rick and Shane brought me up, no spouse, no kids. What about you?" Aurora explained quietly as she glanced around the area, not wanting to be snuck up on while she felt so off of it.  
"Dad ran away before I was born, mum brought me up but she got ill when this whole thing broke out, she got bit by our milkman." Jimmy explained as he slipped the spare nails into the bag but held onto the hammer in case something jumped upon them.  
Aurora's gaze softened, "I'm sorry."  
Jimmy shook his head, "Don't be. I'd come back from seeing Beth and she'd be watching TV, she was always watching TV. Her favourite programme was this 'I didn't know I was Pregnant' thing. Nah, actually she really loved that British Chef, the one with the forehead that shouts at everyone until they cry. She used fall asleep and she'd still be there in the morning when I woke up. Honestly don't know how she even managed to get to fetch the milk into the house."  
Aurora nodded, in deep thought, "And then Hershel took you in?"  
Jimmy nodded, "Yeah, he don't like me much because of me and Beth but he's a good guy."  
"He seems it. Come on let's get back, Lori and Carol were talking about cooking us all a meal."

\/

Aurora stood in Hershel's kitchen chewing the side of her thumb, a nervous habit she picked up from Daryl, as she watched Hershel contemplating what she'd asked.  
"Look," She said after a while, "It doesn't matter okay? I just thought I'd ask while we were still here. Please don't tell anyone, don't you have to follow the Hippocratic oath?"  
Hershel moved his walking stick as he held it with both hands, "Young lady I am a vet not a doctor."  
Aurora shook her head, "Just forget it." She moved to leaved when Hershel's voice.  
"I do have the means to do so but you must understand the device I have is used primarily for animals and if everything is as you think then I don't know how to interpret the results." He explained evenly.  
Aurora nodded, nervousness bubbling up in her stomach as she followed the old man out into the barn.

\/

Aurora was in the RV when she heard the shot. She was sat with her face in her hands and her elbows rested on her knees and tears ran freely down her face. She didn't know what to do and right now she wanted more than anything to find Rick and ask for his advice as he tried to calm her down, like in her past life. Shane wasn't anything like the man she'd been raised by, he'd changed and now she didn't recognise him and she couldn't speak to anyone else about this. Hearing the shouting outside Aurora wiped her face of her tears and came out of the RV to see everyone gathered.

Aurora stepped around and her heart stopped when she saw her brother and Rick carrying Daryl's dirty, bloodied, limp form.  
"Daryl?" The word died on her lips as she felt Andrea's gaze upon her.  
"Daryl?!" She screamed running forward only to be caught by Shane who hoisted her off the ground and held her close until she fought from his grasp and chased after them.

\/

Aurora sat outside the bedroom, Sophia's doll on the chair in front of her. Daryl had asked for her not to be let in until he was sewn up, he knew she was worried but he didn't want her to worry more by seeing the extent of his injuries. So that left her sat outside with just her thoughts, her personal hell at the moment, until Lori approached and sat beside her and gently slipped an arm around Aurora's shoulders and pulled the younger woman to lean on her.

"We haven't always got on, I know that." Lori started, "Most of it stems from me being Ricks wife when you two were so close but he is going to be okay Aurora, you hear me? He's going be okay for the same reason Carl was, because you won't let him die."

Aurora sobbed in her arms for what felt like an eternity, "I don't dislike you because of you and Rick, you make him so happy and we were never serious. I dislike you because my brother loves you."

Lori shook her head, "No, no we were both just trying to come to terms with this new world, we're not anything, I love Rick."  
Aurora squeezed the woman's hand, "I know, I know."

\/

Shane sat back and watched as Daryl was having his side stitched up by Hershel and tried to ignore the obvious love bites and bite marks around his collar bones now that the man was shirtless. He listened to Daryl, Rick and Hershel talk for some time but didn't interrupt. Then Hershel turned to the man on the bed and scowled, "Now you behave yourself, we don't need you worrying that young woman anymore."

With that Hershel left with Rick on his heels wanting to ask questions. Shane crossed his arms over his chest and gave Daryl an amused look in response to his glare.  
"Whaddya want?" Daryl snapped, not in the mood for this at all.  
"Nothing," Shane smirked and Daryl wished he could get up to wipe it from his face, "Just Rick never gave my sister this much hassle when they were fucking."

Daryl's eyes narrowed dangerously but Shane continued, "Didn't she tell you? She used to fuck around with my best friend like she does with you know, only he never caused this much trouble. I mean ya'll just fucking right, so why you got her waiting out there for ya?"

Daryl glared at him but said nothing as the door swung open and Aurora rushed in, sparing her brother a confused glance before sitting beside Daryl on the bed she'd been restricted too just a day ago. Shane smirked and Daryl and ruffled his sisters hair before leaving.

\/

They lay in silence for about half an hour with Aurora on her back and Daryl curled around her slightly before Daryl spoke.  
"So you and Rick?" His voice was deep and rumbling against her collar bone.  
Aurora raised an eyebrow as he ran her finger gently through his hair, "Hmmm? Me and Rick what?"  
"Fucking." Daryl snapped.

Aurora scowled, her mind wheeling back to focus, "What?"  
His body felt stiff against her side as she turned to look him in the eye, "You and Rick fucking." He repeated.  
Aurora blinked, "Is this some kind of fetish or..?"  
"Why ah ya avoiding it? Ya still fucking the cop or not? Would explain why ya hate his woman so much." Daryl snapped and flinched when he felt her jump away from him, his side burning as his stiches moved. He looked up at Aurora as she sat up and glared down at him.  
"What the fuck?!" She snapped, quieting when she realised that people may hear her, "Me and Rick broke up _years _ago. Damn it I was still a teenager when we were dating."  
"So not all that long ago." Daryl sneered.  
"Eight years!" Aurora countered, "I thought we'd got past all this when you thought I wanted to fuck Jim?"  
"But I know ya fucked the cop, ya own brother told me!" Daryl snapped.  
Aurora stood and stormed over to the door, anger clear in her face, "If you must know Rick and I dated for a year, we did sleep with each other but then he met Lori and we broke up so he could explore his feelings for her, not that I have to explain myself to you. And Shane told you? You probably didn't even stop to think that he was fucking with your head."

She slammed the door shut and left Daryl to his own thoughts in the suddenly quiet room. She didn't stop when she saw everyone setting up for dinner and she didn't stop when Dale gave her a comforting grin, she slipped into her tent and told everyone she wanted some time alone.

When, a while later, Hershel asked someone to fetch the young writer to join them for dinner it raised a few eyebrows, Hershel has always been so adamant to avoid them before. When Glenn was sent to find her she hid her bag and feigned sleep. Tomorrow was decision time.

\/

It wasn't until the next morning when Dale realised something was wrong. He hadn't seen Aurora since last night and she was usually one of the first up, either being dragged out by Daryl or pushing him out and following. He brought it up with Rick who told Dale that was how Aurora had always dealt with being sad or in shock, she hid away for a while and the incident with Daryl had shocked her.  
Dale accepted it until later in the morning when he saw Carol helping Daryl out of Hershel's house and back to the tent. Dale went to interrupt them and warn that Aurora wasn't awake yet when Carol unzipped the tent to reveal it to be empty.

Daryl was poking holes in the side of his and Aurora's tent when Andrea came in and disturbed his thoughts. Maybe he had been too quick to accuse, _Maybe_. Even at his age his experience with women didn't involve relationships that lasted as long as he and Aurora had. He glared out of the mesh window watching Dale rush over to Shane and the wonder cop himself, his pants in a twist about something. He turned his attentions away from them and listened to Andrea until she left. He wondered where Aurora planned to stay tonight since she'd moved her things. Shane's? The RV? Rick's? Glenn's? T-Dog's?  
Daryl scowled to himself, as long as it wasn't with Rick or T-Dog, Shane was her brother so nothing could happen there and Daryl had gotten over his vendetta against Glenn which was helped by Aurora slipping out that Glenn had been sleeping with Maggie. He groaned and lay back, he should sleep for the whole day and then he'd be back on his feet.

Shane watched as Lori accepted that Carl wanted to learn to shoot and agreed to teach him. He glared at Dale, the old man had rushed over to him and Rick saying that Aurora wasn't to be found. Shane knew where she was, last night he'd woken her up and moved her to his car in case the hick had decided to come down in the night. He knew she needed to sleep off the shock of the day.

After he had finished teaching and was about to take Andrea to search for Sophia Shane stopped Rick and told him where Aurora was holed up so that he could go and check on her. That would piss Daryl and Lori off. Have the hick assault Rick and the injured cop take solace in his sister so Lori could see who she really needed.

\/

Rick strode across camp, winking at his wife as he passed her pinning up laundry and opened the back of Shane's car to find an empty space. He scowled to himself and did a quick scan of the camp before advancing to Dale and Glenn who seemed awkward when he approached.  
"Either of you two seen Aurora walking around?" He asked, hands on hips.

The pair shook their heads, "Not since last night." Glenn mumbled.  
Dale shook his head worriedly, "I told you that she wasn't in her tent this morning."  
Rick nodded to himself and stalked back to the RV.

\/

A while later, before Shane and Andrea had returned, Rick stood in front of the RV, next to Aurora's tent which was open as Daryl sat in the opening with the others gathered around the fire.  
"What is it? We have things to do doing." Hershel asked, annoyed.  
Rick ran his tongue across his dry lips and stood hands on hips in front of them all, "Has anyone seen Aurora Walsh today?"  
Everyone shook their hands and Daryl glared at him.  
"Dad what's happened?" Carl asked, all his excitement from gun training gone.  
Rick tried not to look at his son's face, knowing that this young upset him, "The last person to see her was Shane last night. There's no trace of her, she's missing."

**I've not been receiving much feedback recently, some would be lovely! **


	21. Chapter 21

When Shane arrived back with Andrea, smirking from his post sex glow he was greeted with the annoying old man preaching at him until Rick came over and Dale quieted. Rick stood awkwardly for a moment, "We can't find Aurora, she's gone missing."  
Shane scowled at him, "Didn't ya'll listen? She's in the back of the truck."  
Rick shook her, "I went to go get her and she wasn't there and her things aren't in her tent. No one has seen her in the house either."  
"Who was the last to see her?" Shane snapped.  
Rick lipped his dry lips, "You were last night, no one has seen her since."  
"What about Daryl?" Shane asked, ignoring the sultry looks Andrea was giving him from afar.  
Rick shook his head, "We got Carol to give him some food, he was determined to go look and almost ripped his stiches open. We put some pain meds in the food Carol gave him, turns out he has a low tolerance to them, he's passed out. Glenn and Maggie have some for some supplies, they're gonna keep their eyes open for her."

Shane swore and stormed off, punching at a tree as he went, this was all he needed.

\/

Aurora squeezed her eyes closed at the feel of the cold metal pressed against her temple. She let out a quick breath and pulled the gun away from her head and rolled it around in her hands. She'd chickened out again. Aurora pushed herself back further into the tree she was sat in. It reminded her so much of when things had started to become a thing between her and Daryl, when she'd stormed off and he'd come to find her in the tree. When it went from stolen glances and thinly veiled innuendos to make out sessions. Even with the world as it is everything seemed simpler then.

Aurora had a choice to make but it wasn't one she could bring herself to do and that's why she had packed her things and left the camp. She was pregnant. Jimmy ranting about his mother's favourite TV shows had clicked it into place. Her friend had been in charge of the program and Aurora had helped her research it. It all made sense the dizziness, being sick, the insane weakness after giving blood to Carl.

But it was so much worse than that.

She was almost 'ready to pop' as Hershel has but it as he pressed the ultrasound to her slightly bumped stomach. She fit with the women of the program perfectly, she'd carried on with her periods (a topic that Daryl had once brought up awkwardly when his mind wondered to pregnancy.) and had no physical signs of being a baby in the oven.

Which brought her to the problem, what could she do? From what Hershel told her in a months' time she would be stood holding a screaming baby, if she or the baby actually survived the birth. And why would she? Hershel wanted them gone, she'd have no medical help. From what she could figure out, Aurora must have gotten pregnant almost the first time her and Daryl slept together, god knows she hadn't had anyone interested in before that, not since she and Rick broke up.  
But that meant that she'd gotten blind drunk, barely eaten, almost died repeatedly since she had conceived. Not to mention that Daryl was very dominating in the bedroom, in a way that Aurora hatd to admit that she enjoyed, in a way that Rick could never manage, could that have hurt the baby?

She waved the thoughts from her head and pushed down the blush in her cheeks as she refocused her attentions on the gun. She could just end it all. It would be the simplest solution, she would likely die anyway and if she did it would be Rick left holding the baby because Aurora was almost certain that Daryl couldn't cope, he'd possibly even leave and she didn't want the 'new' Shane anywhere her baby.

_Her baby_.

It sounded so strange and just a few years ago she'd have been jumping for joy and having Shane and Rick come round to help her paint the nursery and no doubt Carl would have joined wanted to be as grown up as he dad and uncle. She sighed and stared at the gun again before climbing down out of the tree her mind made up. She'd go back to the farm, she needed to talk to Rick about this, he always kept a straight head and if she decided to kill herself then he was the one that she could distract and hide from. It pained her to think about Daryl, she loved him. God how she loved him, but she couldn't take his rejection, not after what he thought about her and Rick, he'd probably claim the baby wasn't even his.

\/

The next morning the group was quiet, Daryl was sat propped up in a chair as Carol pushed some food onto his plate. He ate quietly ignoring the burning in his side. Rick stared at the fire, after finding out about his wife's pregnancy he'd gone into the woods with Shane to try and find Aurora but they'd had to come back when it got dark.

Carl chewed on his breakfast, "Why did Aunt Aurora leave?"  
The camp remained silent and Daryl ignored the few pointed looks in his direction as he spoke up to the boy, "She hasn't left, she's gone to look for Sophia, she just forgot to tell anybody."

Lori gave Daryl a thankful look as Carl seemed to accept the explanation, "She used to do that at home when she'd go out with Dad and Shane."  
Daryl scowled at his plate, he didn't want to talk about the woman that had abandoned him, damn it he knew Merle was right about no one loving him.  
It was T-Dog who carried on the conversation, "Oh yeah, like what?"  
Carl smiled at him, "After the police nights out, Aurora would play hide and seek and Dad and Shane would run around trying to find her."  
Shane's deep voice rumbled, "She was always that way, if she don't wanna be found then ya ain't gonna find her."

The conversation ended awkwardly, with Carl happy with the answers he got and the adults considering Aurora's fate and Daryl's hand in it. Glenn's voice interrupted them, "So guys…The barn's full of walkers."

\/

Aurora didn't know how long she'd been walking but she was confident she was on the right tracks. She'd managed to walk a long way the night she'd left camp but she remembered certain markers and tree shapes like Daryl had taught her too when he first taught her how to hunt. A twig broke behind her and Aurora swung around gun pointed high were she had heard the noise in the tree. The leaves separated slightly and Aurora saw a peak of pale skin and blonde hair.  
"Sophia?"

The leaves moved again and the small face of the missing girl appeared.

Aurora climbed the tree and pulled the small crying into her arms and sobbed openly with her, rocking the small girl.  
"Sophia, Sophia, we have been looking everywhere for you." She brushed the girls hair back and Sophia clung to her top as she sobbed.

\/

The fight between Daryl and Shane had been a long time coming and now with Aurora not there to stand between them it kicked off.  
"I'm close to findin' this girl I just found her damn doll!" Daryl snapped.  
"You found her doll Daryl that's what you did, you found _a doll_. You can't even find my sister." Shane retorted.  
"You don't know what the hell you talking about!" Daryl snapped .  
"I'm just saying what needs to be said! If she was alive out there and saw you coming all methed out with your buck knife and geek ears she wold have ran the damn over way. I wouldn't be surprised if Aurora is already dead too!"

Daryl dove at Shane and Rick stood between the as the rest of the group attempted to separate them. Glenn stood in front of Daryl seemingly infinitely smaller in that second repeating, "They're not dead, they're not dead."

Sometime Daryl found himself in his tent again. Fucking Carol had come in trying to tell him not to go out. The fuck was wrong with everyone around here? The little girl had only been missing a few days and Aurora had only been gone a night and they'd written her off, her own brother had only been out once to try and find her. Guilt hit him as lay down, he could smell Aurora on her pillow, he hadn't been out _once_ to try and find her. Why? Because he'd tripped out and had Merle tell him he was worthless.

He already knew that, damn he'd known it his whole life. He'd only started to doubt it when Aurora was in bed, underneath him with her arms wrapped around his neck and her nails in his back. Her lips against his neck as she moaned and gasped at the things Daryl did, at the way he made her feel. He was in charge in the bedroom, it was the way both of them liked it but Aurora would still misbehave; biting him, moving her lips out of reach and pushing them over until she was on top and Daryl loved the mischievous glint in her eyes. He groaned at his sudden arousal and pushed those thoughts away and left the tent with the intent of searching for Aurora when Shane pulled up in the van, furious. Exactly how long had he been in the tent?

Shane pushed a gun into Daryl's arms, "You with me?" Shane grumbled and Daryl nodded following her lover's brother into the firing line.

\/

Aurora walked back towards the farm with Sophia on her back. The poor girl had hurt her ankle so Aurora was happy to carry her.  
"Is my mummy okay?" Sophia asked quietly.  
"Your mummy is just fine, Daryl has been looking out for her and he's been out every day to look for you." Aurora smiled and she felt the girl relax slightly.  
"Why're you out here?" She asked.  
"I was looking for you."  
"Then why do you have your bag?"  
The old woman paused, "I had some thinking to do."  
"About what?"  
The older woman realised that the little girl had probably never had this, an honest conversation with someone other than her mother. A friend who wasn't Carl. All because of that bastard Ed.  
"I had an argument with Daryl." Aurora told the little girl, it wasn't a lie.  
Sophia accepted it and began to doze off.

When they reached the farm Aurora couldn't see anyone around. She jumped at the sound of gunshots and dropping her bag and moving Sophia so she was carrying her in a fireman's lift, Aurora tightened her grip on both the girl and her handgun and bolted towards the gunshots.

Aurora paused at the sight, close to her Lori sat with Carol, both women holding onto Carl. The rest of her group stood in a line shooting walkers as they piled out of the barn until at last a small girl came out and Shane shot her down.

The silence was drowning until Sophia, who Aurora had let slip down so that she was in her arms, whimpered, "Mummy?"  
The group collectively snapped around to see the tired looking youngest Walsh holding the shaking, missing girl. Silently Aurora carried Sophia to Carol who pulled the young girl into an emotional embrace and she sobbed, Carl and Lori being pulled into the hug. Aurora went to step away until she felt Carol grip her wrist, "Thank you, thank you." She sobbed.  
Aurora shook her head and glanced up at Daryl, "He did all the leg work, I just got lucky."

Aurora turned to leave, going back to the tent when she heard Beth scream and rushed back to help them save the young girl from her reanimated mother. Hershel rushed to his daughter and pushed the group away from her.

"You came here and I saved your boy, I gave you shelter and food!" Hershel shouted enraged and Aurora backed away slowly from the group until she felt her brother grab her wrist and wouldn't let her go as she pulled, Hershel carried on, "You killed my family, Rick. Are you going to do this when the baby comes?"  
"Baby?!" T-Dog asked confused and Lori and Rick glanced between each other worried.  
Hershel raised his hand and pointed at Aurora who was trying to pry Shane's hand from her wrist, he said nothing and as Aurora pulled away from her brother she didn't spare the group as glance as she left down the hill to find her tent. Rick was the only one to go after her.

\/

When Rick caught up with Aurora she was picking up her bag, he caught her by the arm and dragged her towards the RV.  
"Rick let me go." She tried to pull away from his as he pushed her in the RV, followed her in and shut the door behind her.  
"What on earth-"  
Rick cut her off, "You're pregnant?"  
Aurora looked down, she considered lying but knew it wouldn't get her anywhere, "Yes."  
"Is it Daryl's?"  
Aurora slapped him before she realised what she was doing and then let herself fall into the seat in the RV, her eyes watering. Rick sat across from her and held her hand across the table.

"I'm sorry," He said slowly, "Lori's pregnant too."  
Aurora looked up at him with glossy eyes, "Congrats." He gave a dry laugh and she continued, "Least she has time to come round to the idea."  
"Whaddya mean?"  
"According to Hershel I'm eight months along."  
Rick starred at her and her lack of stomach and she gave him a small smile, "The body is a wonderful thing Rick, sometimes it doesn't want to let anyone know its secrets."  
"And that's why you left?"  
"What else could I do? I'm probably going to die giving birth, especially without Hershel's help and if I do who will take care of the baby? Daryl's not going to want it. And if I do survive then my baby is growing to grow up in constant fear."

Rick stood slowly and kissed her forehead, he hand slipping down her back to take her handgun. He headed to the door and turned back slightly to look at her, "Whatever happens while I'm alive, I _will_ look after you and your baby but you _need_ to talk to Daryl." He turned away from her and left the RV.

Aurora jumped up when she heard the lock click. He'd locked her in.

Daryl was leant on a tree watching the RV. So that was why she'd left, she didn't want to have his baby. Hell he couldn't blame her though, he wasn't exactly Rick. He snorted to himself thinking about the man comforting his lover. He was so… _wholesome_. That must be what Aurora wanted in a father for a baby, not him. He was pulled from his thoughts when Shane's smirking face approached him.  
"Makes ya wonder don't it?" He smirked.  
Daryl said nothing.  
Shane smirked again, "Rick rushing off after Rora like that? Maybe it's his. I dunno maybe he doesn't want another baby on the way."

Daryl listened to the man for a moment before his face contorted with rage and he pulled his fist back, hitting Shane square in the nose. The pair scuffled, punching each other with more fire and anger then they had at the CDC until Daryl felt himself being pulled away from the bloodied Shane by Rick, T-Dog and Dale.

T-Dog and Dale stood between them while Rick held onto Daryl as he growled at them.  
"Daryl, Daryl, Aurora needs you right now, stop this." Rick snapped as he threw Daryl away from him, reached into his waistband and took out Aurora's gun and gave it to Dale, "Don't let her get hold of this, we may need to keep her on watch."

This had Daryl's attention as he watched the old man take the gun and his face sadden with the implications of it.

Rick gave Daryl an even look, "She _needs_ you right now. I've locked her in the RV, talk to her before she manages to find a way out and you know that she will." 

Daryl sneered at him and stalked away from the other men towards to the RV as Glenn ran across calling for Rick because Beth had collapsed. He unlocked the RV before stepping in and locking it again. He laid his crossbow on the table and moved back into the bedroom where Aurora was sat platting her hair. She looked up at him was tear glazed eyes as he looked down at her.

"How long have you known." He asked, his voice deep.  
"A couple of days."  
"Is it mine?" He asked but regretted it when he saw the hurt in her eyes but she answered him anyway, "It couldn't be anyone else's."

There was silence for a while as he watched her play with her hair, "Why'd you run off?"

She gave a harsh laugh, "Why'd you think? In a month's time there's gonna be a baby here that you don't want and I don't know how to look after –"  
"A month?" He glared confused, looking at her no existent stomach.  
Aurora looked at her hair rather than him, "It's rare but it happens, women getting pregnant without knowing it, having all their periods," She ignored the face he pulled, "and then one day they end up in a lot of pain and they suddenly have a baby that they're been baking and carrying without even knowing it."

They went quiet for a while until again Daryl broke it, "Who said I didn't want it?"  
Her head snapped up and her gaze met his bright blue eyes, "Why would you?"  
He shrugged and moved to sit next to her and she budged closer to the wall, "Be a challenge I guess."  
Beside herself, Aurora found herself laughing, "You want a baby for a challenge?"  
He shrugged, "You ever want them before all this?"  
Aurora nodded, "It was always the plan, never really had anyone to have them with."  
"What about Rick?"  
"I was eighteen when Rick and I broke up, I wasn't ready then."  
"And this mess," he gestured at the world outside the RV, "Is better?"  
Aurora shrugged, "Gonna have to be, there's only one way for me to not have this baby now, I'm too far gone."  
Daryl scowled at her, "That's why Rick took your gun?"  
Aurora nodded and Daryl sighed leaning back against the wall behind them, "Ah don't think that's the way forwards." He grumbled as he slipped and arm around Aurora's waist and gently pulled her back so that she was rested against him.

"You reacted a lot calmer than I thought you would," Aurora murmured after a while, not wanted to be pushed away.  
He gave a dark chuckle, "Ah just kicked your brothers ass."  
"I'd say that he's deserved it recently." She replied, she was entirely annoyed with her brother's behaviour. This made Daryl laugh as he wrapped both of his arms around her and held her to his chest, "Get some sleep," He rumbled, "I'll explain everything to the group."

\/

Daryl left the RV after Aurora had fallen to sleep, it was beginning to get dark out. He stepped out into the crisp air and slung the crossbow over his shoulder and rubbed his face with one hand. He was going to be a father soon. He didn't know that he could handle the idea of that, never mind the practice.  
"Everything alright son?" Dale asked from atop the RV and Daryl resisted the urge to tell him that he wasn't his son and instead nodded and told him, "I've left it open, she's asleep so she won't try to leave. Keep her gun away in case though."  
Dale nodded and watched as Daryl went to an old car and left the camp in the direction of town.

It didn't take him long to arrive. He slipped out of the car and kept his gun raised as he advanced on the shop that looked like it would have what he needed. Once he had finished in the shop Daryl continued onto the bar, he needed a drink after everything that had happened today. He pushed open the door and held his weapon high when he was greeted with the click of another gun. Daryl scowled but lowered his weapon when he saw Rick, with Glenn and Hershel back near the bar.  
"Daryl? What are you doing here?" Glenn asked glancing at two bodies on the floor.  
Daryl ignored the bodies and slipped over the top of the bar putting a couple of bottles in his bag, he sneered at the other men, "Didn't you hear? I'm going to be a daddy."  
"So you ran away?" Hershel asked from his seat.  
Daryl shrugged drinking from a bottle of white rum, "Ain't that what she did?"  
Rick glared at him, "She was scared. She hasn't had any time to adjust to the idea."  
Daryl gave him an amused look, "Yeah ah musta forget about all that time I had to get used ta tha idea."  
"Don't be like that." Rick groaned as he reached to take the bottle from Daryl who pulled it away from the cops reach and jeered at him, "Ah'll do whatever the fuck I want."  
"Why're you here Daryl?" Hershel asked evenly.  
Daryl took a long drink from the rum, "Closest drink." He shrugged.  
"And what is Aurora doing right now?" Hershel asked.  
Daryl shrugged, "Fuck if ah know."  
Hershel gave him an even look, "I think you do."  
Daryl paused, looking at the liquid in the bottle, "She's sleepin' in the RV."  
Hershel gestured at Daryl, "See you know because you care and don't even try to deny it. You're drinking because you're scared and you know it. Because Aurora and the baby might die. But you know what son she's scared too and she needs you more than you need to get away."  
Daryl took another sip of the burning liquid but his heart didn't seem to be in it, Rick nodded, "Come on lets head back."  
They moved towards the door when lights shone by the door and Rick hissed at them "A car." And the men got down.

\/

When Aurora woke it was because she felt a small body curl up to her. She groaned and wiped her eyes before she looked down at the top of Carl's head as he cried against her.  
Aurora shh'd him as she gathered the small boy up in his arms and rocked him slightly, "What's wrong sweet heart? What is it?" She asked smoothing his hair back. The RV door opened and Sophia came in timidly and Aurora moved herself so she could cuddle both children.  
"Mum's gone, she went to look for dad." Carl cried and Aurora kissed the top of his head.  
"Well that's nothing to cry over, your dad has never done anything fast enough for your mum, remember how long it took him to redecorate the bathroom?" Carl nodded against her.  
"They found me and I was gone a long time." Sophia offered and Aurora smiled at her.

After the pair had calmed down she heard a truck come back and saw Lori and Shane get out, she gently nudged the children and helped them on their feet, "Hey Carl your mum is back."  
They left the RV and Aurora ignored the looks she got from Dale, silently promising this wasn't her trying to run away again.

As Carl went inside to talk to his mother Dale approached Aurora, "Errm Aurora, did Daryl tell you where he was going?"  
She gave him a confused expression, "I didn't know that he'd gone."  
Dale nodded, "He left some hours ago in the direction of town."  
Aurora felt her heart break but this is exactly what she'd done to him, she gave him a nonchalant shrug, "Guess it was his turn to run off."

\/

Daryl did not want to bring the boy back with them. It was a stupidest idea he'd heard of but Rick couldn't help but play the hero. They were nearly back when Rick spoke, "Daryl what were you doing in town?"  
Daryl glared at him but said nothing.  
Rick continued, "You think I didn't notice that your bag is full? That when you dropped it in the shootout, you went back for it?"  
Daryl glared at him, punching Randall for the heck of it before replying, "I wasn't leaving if that's what you mean."

Rick took that answer and pulled into camp.

After explaining to the rest of the camp who this boy was, with Daryl unsuccessfully trying not to laugh at Hershel giving Shane a talking too and Aurora avoiding everyone's gazes, Rick sat back in a chair in Hershel's front room and sighed. Rick raised a brow when Daryl approached him and Dale and chewing on his thumbnail simply said, "Barn, twenty minutes."

Dale gave Rick a confused glance and Rick leaned his head back and closed his eyes hoping that he wasn't about to get another drama.

Daryl strode over to the tent he shared with Aurora pausing only to slip a small object from his large duffle bag into his pocket before carrying on.  
Aurora didn't look up from her book when Daryl came in but when he dropped a bag the length of Carl in front of her, she raised an eyebrow at him.  
"I thought you'd left. What's this?" She asked putting her book down.  
He sat down at the edge of the bed, "Nah that's more your style." He saw her flinch and mumbled a sorry and then nodded at the bag for her to open it.

Slowly she unzipped the bag and pulled out a few bottles, a couple were vodka, some were rum and some were Whiskey. She gave him a confused look and he shook his head, "Nah those are mine."  
He nodded towards the bag again and she put the alcohol down and rooted through the bag bringing out a small baby grow with a small duck on it.

Aurora welled up as she looked at the baby supplies in the bag, bottles formula, clothes and different creams for rashes.  
She pulled out a pack of cloth diapers and Daryl smirked, "That's gonna be your job. I spoke to Hershel, he's gonna give us Beth's old car seat."  
Aurora gave him a smile before she began to cry, the tears running down her face before she cover it with her hand. She felt Daryl move the bag and slip his arm around her, "Ah didn't mean to upset ya." Daryl mumbled.  
Aurora pulled away from his embrace and wiped her as she took in his awkward position and smiled, she'd always liked his awkwardness, she couldn't help it. "I'm not upset, that was just so lovely."  
He groaned, "Ah ain't lovely."  
"Yes you are," Aurora sang as played with the back of his hair, "and you're sweet, occasionally nice, always thoughtful." She smirked when she saw him glaring at him.  
"Imma hafta stab someone or somethink." He mumbled and she smiled, leaning up to give him a soft kiss until his head caught the back of her hair and they pressed their bodies together, the kiss becoming more heated when Daryl grinded against her. 

Daryl groanedand pulled away, he looked down at her lay on her back, hair fanned out, open and inviting, "Ah got somethin' ta do, stay like this." He gestured to her position and quietly left the ten leaving a very confused woman behind.

\/

Dale stood beside Rick outside the barn watching the camp move around like he usually did. Rick nodded towards the hill where they saw Daryl approaching them, chewing on his thumbnail again.  
"Well whats this about?" Rick asked as he reached them.  
Daryl looked at them both for a moment before he spoke, "Ah wanted to talk to Rora."  
"Is she okay?" Rick asked and Daryl nodded.  
"Then what is it?" Dale asked, "Is it about the pregnancy?"  
Daryl shook his head and waited a moment again before starting awkwardly, "It's usually family, but well ah'll kill Shane if ah look at 'im and he'll only say no…"  
"Look Daryl, I need to be on watch, we all have things to do could you speed it up any?" Rick snapped. Daryl dug into his deep pockets, pulled out a small box and threw it at Rick who caught it and lowered it down to Dale so the pair of them could look at it.

Daryl, feeling awkward in the silence that he usually loved, spoke up as the pair looked at the box in Rick's hand, "Can't do the rest of it right with tha world gone ta shit but thought ah should still ask, ya know?"

Dale walked by Daryl and patted him on the arm giving him a big grin and a nod before walking back into camp. Daryl and Rick stood for a moment sizing each other before Rick approached him and put the small box back in Daryl's hand. And clasped a hand on Daryl's shoulder, "I hear anything I don't like from Aurora and this," he pointed at the box, "Won't stop me from putting a bullet between your eyes."  
Daryl nodded, "Ah'm counting on that."

**So the baby Dixon is on the way, now one question is, boy or girl? Suggestions welcome.**


	22. Chapter 22

Aurora crawled out of the tent a moments after Daryl left and upon seeing him sneaking around the barn with Dale and Rick, she entered the house and crept up the stairs to Beth's room with a book in hand.  
With a hard swallow at the girls state, Aurora perched at the end of the bed and began to read from the James Herbert novel.  
"You'll give her nightmares." Maggie told her from the doorway.  
Aurora closed the book softly, "Sorry."  
"You have a nice reading voice." Maggie said quietly coming to sit on the other side of Beth and gently strokes away the girls hair.  
"I used to get so scared for doing book readings that I'd practice for weeks on end, I got sick of my own writing."  
"Will you read her something nice?"  
Aurora paused, "I don't have anything."  
"Make something up?" Maggie prompted.  
"I'm not sure I can any more...I'll have to get back to you." Aurora mumbled as she rose and left with Maggie nodding as she left before going back to stroking her sisters hair.  
Taking the stairs two at a time Aurora ran threw to the kitchen and threw up outside the back door.  
"You too huh?" Lori asked from inside the kitchen and handed Aurora a glass of water when she came back inside. The younger woman nodded and spat the awful taste into the sink, ignoring Lori's disagreeing look, and drank down the glass of water. The woman stood awkwardly with each other, when Lori sighed and her eyes watered, "What are we going to do?" she whispered.  
Aurora gently shh'd the older woman and pulled her to her chest and held her tightly as Lori sobbed into her shoulder and clutched at the younger woman. Aurora shh'd her quietly and stroked her hair while gently rocking her, "It's going to be okay."  
Aurora held her as she calmed slowly, the pair only pulling part when Daryl stalked into the kitchen and Lori told her to go with him while wiping at her eyes. Reluctantly Aurora left her and walked out into the daylight with Daryl on her heels. "I thought you hated 'er?" Daryl questioned her and chewed on his thumb nail.  
"I did, I'm still not overly fond...I don't really know anymore." Aurora sighed as she crawled into their tent, ignoring his comments about women being mad. She flopped down onto the makeshift bed and let out a long sigh. "So..." Daryl started as he sat on the edge of their bed.  
"So?" Aurora mumbled as she began to fall asleep, her time in the woods taking it out of her.  
"Wan' use mah last name?" Daryl mumbled and Aurora's eyes flew open as she watched him chew on his thumb again.  
"What?" she asked confused.  
Daryl dug into his pocket and took out two gold wedding bands, both plain and dull. "Why not?" he shrugged.  
Aurora scowled at the rings in his large hands, "With a proposal like that how could I say no?" she laughed nervously, "You couldn't possibly mean this? Is it because of the baby?"  
"Why wouldn't ah possibly mean it?" he snapped.  
"That wasn't a comment on you Daryl, don't get sensitive." Aurora snapped back and Daryl caught her with a harsh glare. For a moment they remained in a silent stand off until Daryl dropped the rings onto the bed in front of her.  
"Your choice." he told her, sounding bitter.  
"No one is expecting you to do this because of the baby Daryl." Aurora pinched her forehead and avoided looking at the rings, they were nothing like the ones that her and Rick once shopped for but she liked that.  
"Ah don't give a shit bout that lot." he raised his hand to motion outside the tent.  
"Then why are you doing this?" Aurora asked him catching his gaze and giving him an even look and Daryl rubbed his face with one large hand in response, "So ya know ah won't run off like you did."  
"It didn't feel like I had any other choice." Aurora snapped, "I'm probably going to die giving birth and if I don't carting a baby around will probably get me killed, or someone else killed." 

"So you kill yourself?" Daryl snapped.  
"I was out there and I just kept hearing Jenner, about our short, painful lives. No matter how much I wanted a child I don't think I could put it through that. Wouldn't it be better to go out on my own terms? By my own hand?" Aurora argued.

"What alone? Scared? Ain't that what you tryin' to avoid you silly bitch. Yah just said you wanted it and now yah don't because what that dick said?" Daryl shouted  
"He was right though! I – the world that I wanted to bring my child up in has gone. Sophia and Carl at least knew something else but what will this child know?"  
"How to survive if its don't kill it first." Daryl snapped.  
"What do you care Daryl? You _hate_ my brother, most of this group, Rick. I don't blame you for what they did to Merle but why start caring now?"  
"Have I not cared about yah? You're my family. You're a bitch when yah angry and when yah get yahself almost killed for stupid reasons I want tah throttle yah but that doesn't mean that I don't care about yah. The fuck is wrong with yah?" Daryl retorted and in anger turned and left the tent.

"Don't fucking walk away from me Dixon." Aurora growled, snatching the rings off of the bed and her swords from beside her pillow she followed the redneck with a small sprint since he was already at the edge of camp by the time she'd left the tent. She ignored the questioning looks from people milling around camp and focused on following her lover. She pushed past the line of hanging meat that he'd hung up and pushed his back hard when she caught up with him.  
He lurched forward before turning around, fist clenched and growling, "The fuck do yah want from me?"  
"You care but you're going to run off is that it?" Aurora snapped, her own fists clenched.  
"Ain't that what you fucking did?" Daryl snarled and turned to leave again.  
"Don't take what Merle said to you out on me!" Aurora shouted and Daryl stopped. He turned slowly and in the moonlight Aurora could see his chest rise and fall with the pressure of staying in control. Of not snapping.  
"The fuck are you talking about?" He stalked up to her and Aurora resisted the urge the step back away from him and the burning desire to inflict pain in his eyes. The first time, to Aurora, Daryl reminded her of Merle. He stepped up to her so that he was just a breath away from her, taller than her even though she was stood on a slight rise.  
"You talk in your sleep." She told him defiantly, her chin jutting up to stare into his burning eyes.  
"Ya'll don't know what the fuck ya'll talking about." Daryl glowered down at her and she could feel anger rolling off him, "Who the _fuck_ do you think you are?" He snapped.  
"Well I thought I was your family." Aurora breathed and took a small step back from his dominating form.

His eyes softened slightly as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the gold bands that he's thrown on the bed. She held his large fist her pale hand and pulled it towards and opened it to show his palm. He didn't resist. She pushed them into his palm.  
"I did what I did because _you're my family_, Daryl." He opened his mouth to talk but Aurora covered it with her other hand, "Don't. Just let me talk. I did what I did to protect my family. I didn't want to put them through worrying about me…seeing me die. I can't stop this, Daryl and I'm beyond terrified. Shane isn't the man he used to be and Rick has he own family to deal with. I love you too much let you see me die, or get ripped apart after what happened to Merle."

She ignored his visual flinch at the 'L' word and with a gentle smile, a mother's smile, she took her hand from his mouth and released his other hand and turned to go back to camp. Daryl let her leave. He turned and walked into the woods at the edge of camp.  
Aurora swiped her moist eyes as she strode back up the hill to camp. Glenn rushed from the house and ran straight into her making her fall onto her backside. He made a pained noise and helped the brunette woman up.  
"You know, I'm strictly handle with care at the minute." Aurora scolded lightly as he pulled her up.  
"I'm sorry." He mumbled, he seem distracted and upset. So unlike himself.  
"Glenn, are you okay?" Aurora asked him quietly, looking around to see if anyone would over hear them but she could only see Shane and Andrea near the barn in deep conversation.  
"I nearly died out there last night." Glenn sighed, "I couldn't get Maggie out my head."

Aurora pulled him to her for an embrace, "Sounds like you love her Glenn." She smiled and rubbed his back in an attempt to calm his obvious sadness. He pulled away from her and ran a hand through his hair, looking down in guilt, "I ended it."  
He flinched as though expecting her to whack the back of his head but she only gave him a sad smile, "You do what you have to, to keep her and you safe. But we live in an unsafe world, make sure you're as happy as you can be for however long we have left." She kissed his cheek softly and moved to return to her tent.

Obviously she was not intended to get to is as Rick stormed out of his and Lori's tent, face twisted with anger. He stormed past Aurora and the soft smile that she offered, hunting knife in his hand as he made his way to the words. Aurora hurried after him and Rick knew of her presence. Once they were in the trees, he roared in anger and kicked and punched at the nearest tree as Aurora watched.  
"Wanna talk about it?" Aurora asked as she leant on a nearby tree and watched his anger subside.  
"Did you know about Shane and Lori?" Rick snarled.  
"What?"  
"Did. You. Know?" He snarled again, pointed at her.  
Aurora paused, "I did."  
He shook his head, his hands pulling at his hair, "And you didn't tell me."  
"Evidently not." Aurora mumbled.  
"Why?" Rick hissed at her.  
"Why I didn't tell you? You came back _from the dead_. You found your wife, your son, your best friend, me. How could I do that to you?" Aurora asked.  
Rick shook his head, "How could you not tell me? You're supposed to be my friend Rora."  
"I am your friend. Did I cheat on you with your best friend? Did I actively lie? Or did I help look after your family?" Aurora snapped, why was everything her fault.

Rick hung his head slightly and pulled the smaller woman into his arms and rested his chin on her head like he used to when he'd find her hiding in the cupboard from her mother, "I know, I know. I'm sorry. You're my family too ya know."  
Aurora breathed in his smell as she hugged him. Rick used to smell like cologne and cinnamon. Now he only smelt like sweat and grit. She hated it. It didn't suit him. Not like it suited Daryl. Daryl, her family. Aurora pulled away and she ruffled his hair, "Now apart from the walkers, whats got you down buddy."  
He didn't crack a smile like he used too. Just another thing that had changed. He ran a hand through his hair to put it back to normal, "Your brother. He thinks the babies his. He thinks I can't protect Lori, Carl, you, the baby, _my_ baby."  
"Can you?" Aurora asked with a blink.  
"How can you asked me that?" Rick hissed, gripped the top of her arms but Aurora pushed him away harshly.  
"You watch what you're doing Rick," She snapped, ignoring his apologetic look, "You're like a brother to me and you're right. There is something wrong with Shane but you have brought a threat into our camp. That boy is dangerous and even if he's not his friends tried to kill you. The sooner you get him away from this camp the safer we'll all be."  
Aurora turned to leave but Rick caught her by the arm, his fingers digging into her arm. Aurora turned to scold him and Rick opened his mouth to beg his friend to stay but both were stopped by the sharp cough near them  
Rick pulled Aurora behind him and Aurora pulled out a sword on instinct to glare at Daryl who was stood about five feet from them. Sneaky hick.  
"I interrupting?" Daryl rumbled. He almost amused but Aurora could see the annoyance in his stance.  
"No, no you're not." Aurora told him, she stepped away from Rick's grip and gave the officer a hard look, "You know you have to get that boy out of here." She turned and left heading back to camp.  
It was only when she heard the crunching of leaves that Aurora turned to see who was following her and raised an eyebrow when she saw Daryl looking skittish, his crossbow hung over his shoulder.  
"Can I help you?" She asked after he remained silent for moment, he stayed silent as Rick stalked by them towards the house and once he was out of sight Aurora repeated herself.  
"What did he want?" Daryl asked, chewing his thumb. A nervous habit, Aurora had noted.  
"My brother is slowly driving him mad. I know the feeling." Aurora answered and they stood in silence for a while. Their old comfortable silence. "Was there anything else?"  
He glared at her, she was so comfortable with words and he hated them. He liked action. But he guessed it was her writer background. "I don't want you going anywhere alone while that boy is here."  
Aurora raised an eyebrow in amusement, "I can handle myself. I don't need you wondering around after me."  
"This isn't an order. It's a request." He told her.  
"And an usually polite one from a Dixon, I'm sure." Aurora noted, amused.  
He groaned at her, "Will you stop making this difficult?"  
"I wasn't aware that I was." She told him but her smile told him otherwise.  
"Stop being so stubborn." He scolded.  
"You're pretty stubborn yourself Dixon." Aurora stuck out her tongue.  
He pointed towards the house, "Get in the house, Walsh."  
She paused for a moment, "Where do we stand?" 

He said nothing so she continued, "Because I've still got your back."  
He walked up to her and pulled her too him by her waist, "Yah know I've got your back," He rested his forehead on hers, "And you're front." He cheekily squeezed her breast and held her tighter so she couldn't hit him for it. She squirmed for a while, trying to find an angle where she could hit or pinch him back but eventually stopped and instead just leaned against his body.  
She sighed into the embrace and wrapped her arms around him, "You know where in public right?"  
He chuckled darkly, "I'll tell them yah fainted again."  
She found some leeway and pinched the back of his arm, "I though you didn't care what they thought."  
"Ah don't." He mumbled defiantly and pulled away from her, tucking his hands into his pockets, "Now house."  
"And where are you going, pray tell?" Aurora questioned.  
"Huntin'." He answered gruffly, Aurora shook her head and turned to leave towards the house. Daryl pulled his hands out his pockets to slap her backside and as he did the Golden rings fell out and onto the grass. The pair paused looking at the inanimate objects that seemed ready to cause a war.  
It was Aurora who leaned down to pick them up and instead of hand them back she examined them in the palm of her pale hand. "It's nice." She said as she slid the smallest onto her ring finger and then clenched that fist, "Doesn't feel like it would get in the way."

And then she paused. When she looked up, holding out the other ring for Daryl to take or disregard it was only then that Daryl noticed her posture. She was afraid. But of what? Him? No. Rejection? Possibly. She stood with her left hand out, the ring in her palm close to the ring she was now wearing. Her head was angled down but she was looking up at him with those big, blue eyes that had made him kill people with his bare head back at the quarry. Her faced was flushed red.  
In that moment everything he loved about her hit him and felt his knees weaken. This woman, this wonderful, selfless, caring woman, thought she wasn't good enough for him. Him, the hick. He was a Dixon, a word synonymous with drinking, drugs, abuse, rage. Not love. But her she was. And he loved her. He was sure he had since he'd come back from Atlanta to find her by the side of the RV.

But still he couldn't help himself, "So, what? You changed your mind now."  
Her shoulders slumped slightly but she didn't back down, another thing that he loved. "We had things we needed to sort out. This couldn't have been a fix. We had to be okay before we did this."  
He took the ring from her small looking hand and twisted it onto his finger. His heart stopped when he looked up to her smile. She hadn't smiled like that since they're been drunk at the CDC.

It was breath-taking.

He couldn't help himself. He rushed forward and pulled her too him with his strong arms and with one hand threaded into her hair, his lips crashed against hers. Aurora moaned lightly, and if possible, Daryl pulled her even closer to him, his hand in her hair tightened and she clung to his vest, afraid that if she let she'd fall down or wake up.

They pulled away but remained holding onto each other. Breathless, panting and incredibly worked up.  
"Ah have to go." Daryl breathed, his forehead on hers.  
She bit her lip and gave him a sensual look, "Can't you wait a little while?"  
He disguised his turned on groan with a dark chuckle and slapped her backside playfully making her jump, "Later. Now get in the house."  
They pulled away from each other reluctantly and Aurora did as she was told, only for the promise of a reward later.

When she got into the house Rick, with Glenn's help, was leading a tied up, gagged, blindfolded boy out of the house. Rick stopped and nodded for Glenn to continue.  
"We're okay aren't we? I – I wouldn't hurt you Rora." Rick told her, he caught sight of her hand and gave her an honest smile. One she hadn't seen from him in this world since he'd found his family. "I see your talk with Daryl went well."  
Aurora blushed and played with the ring, "Not a first."  
Rick caught her chin with his finger and thumb and tilted her head up to face him, "I'm so proud of the woman you've become. You're brave and loyal and Daryl is a lucky man."  
Aurora gave him a big smile and kissed his cheek, gently slapping his hand away so she could hug him, "I know I'm awesome. Now what are you doing with him."

"Me and Shane are going to go far out and leave him with a few supplies." He told her.  
"You're a good man Rick." She smiled.  
Rick shook his head, "Shane thinks we're doing the wrong thing. He thinks we should kill him."  
Aurora shook her head, "While this is an option, then this is what we should do."  
"Thank you. Beth woke up earlier, she's sleeping now." He told her honestly, "When Shane gets down here, we're going to head off."  
"I'm going upstairs anyway, you think she'd have rested enough. I'll get him to move along, be careful." She smiled and jogged up the stairs and into the bedroom where Beth was lay, Shane was stood in the doorway, staring out of the window, paying no mind to the girl. Aurora noted, happily, that the girl looked a lot more peace while resting now then she had done the last couple of days.  
"Shane?" Aurora started quietly, "Rick's ready when you are." She turned to leave.  
"Is that all you have to say to me?" Shane rumbled.  
"You haven't been interested in talking to me." Aurora reasoned.  
"It's all just fucked up. Lori's pregnant with my kid –" Shane started.  
Aurora interrupted him, "Ricks child."  
Shane ignored her, "Lori's pregnant with my kid, Rick thinks we can just let that kid go and you're pregnant with Dixon's spawn. It's not exactly a good time."  
Aurora's faced burned with rage, "Spawn? Okay Shane you listen right now, this is my child and I'm scared out of my mind and this is the most that I've ever needed you in my life and right now I can't stand the sight of you, you're not the brother who I grew up with. The one that raised me and saved me from our mother."

Shane had stepped up to her at this point, he had always been taller than her but now his body was stiff and his anger was directed at her it was no longer comforting. But she didn't stop.  
"That is Lori and Rick's baby, their family and you need to stop obsessing about her, she doesn't love you!"  
"Aurora Walsh." He said her name slowly, filled with hinted danger. He's only done this twice before to her. Once when she'd gotten drunk and he'd found a guy trying to take her home. Another when she and Rick had decided to tell Shane about them. 

"Aurora Dixon." She hissed.

His eyes found the offending golden band on her small finger and he started to laugh. A deep, dark laugh as he rubbed his disbelieving face with one large hand.  
"Is that right?" He laughed again giving her a hard look and before she could answer, his hand had left his own face and collided with her.

The force and shock of the back head sent her back into the chest of drawers where she banged her head and her ribs. She yelped in pain as she crashed to the floor. Aurora looked up at her brother, her eyes watering and head bleeding lightly. He looked back uncaring.  
Aurora yelped again as her abdomen clenched in pain. She couldn't breathe, her face twisted in pain. And then it stopped. A contraction. She contemplated reached out to Shane for help but his eyes told her not to bother. He cocked his head, as though surprised she'd fallen under the force of his hit and then stepped over her and left. He walked out the house and joined Rick and the pair left.

Aurora lay curled up on the bedroom floor. She squeezed her eyes shut to remove the blurriness of her vision. She opened her eyes and pushed herself off the floor. Her abdomen was fine now, though she knew another contraction must be soon. Her head and ribs swam from the contact with the bedside cabinet. She stumbled towards the bed and straightened herself.  
She moved to leave the room but a contraction crippled her and made her sit back onto the bed. Beth stirred at the movement and looked at the woman with tired interest.  
"Aurora, what is it?" Beth mumbled rubbing her eyes.  
"It's okay. I'm fine, I'll be okay." She told her as she pushed herself up to stand, "Go back to sleep sweetheart, you need your rest."  
Beth looked unconvinced, "No what is it? Whats wrong? Is it the baby?"  
"Who told you?" Aurora asked as she relaxed from the last contraction.  
"Lori did." Beth was sat up now and looking lost.  
"Of course she did." Aurora growled through gritted teeth as she felt the next contraction come. As if on cue, Lori came in to see Beth, a tray of food in hand.  
"Aurora what are you doing in here?" Lori asked, setting down the food.  
"Having the baby." Beth told her, she seemed detached from the world still.

Lori instantly was at Aurora's side, pulling her up to stand, "Why didn't you get me or Hershel?"  
"Labour takes hours right? Figured I had time." Aurora gave a soft chuckle.  
Lori scowled as she guided the woman downstairs to the bed where Carl had been for his treatment and shouted for Patricia to fetch Hershel. She gently brushed her fingers over Aurora's forehead.  
"What happened to you? You're bleeding." She gently held a cloth to the wound. It was only a small cut and Aurora doubted that she really needed the cloth.  
"Banged my head." Aurora told her through harsh breaths as a particularly nasty contraction came on and Aurora felt a gush of water over her crotch and legs.  
Lori looked down, "Well that's your water gone."  
"Here's me thinking I'd just wet myself." Aurora laughed and let Lori pull her close for a hug as Lori stood beside her bed. Aurora wrapped her arms around the older woman's thin frame and let out a shaky breath, "I'm scared." She confessed.  
Lori pushed her hair back and kissed her forehead like she would with Carl, "I know sweetheart, I know."  
"I want Daryl." Aurora confessed as she heard Hershel some back into the house and Patricia following.  
"You want me to go find him?" Lori asked, slightly moving away.  
Aurora shook her head rapidly as another contraction consumed her, "Hunting. Please stay with me?" Lori gave her a level look and held Aurora's left hand in both of hers, her finger running over the new gold band, "Of course, of course I'll stay. This is new." She moved the ring slightly with her thumb.  
"Please don't chastise me right now." Aurora groaned.  
Lori laughed and stroked her hair again, "I promise to wait until later to chastise you."  
"That's all I ever ask." Aurora smiled through her pain.


	23. Chapter 23

Dale stood in the corner of the room, having given Andrea the rifle, counting on his watch. "Same time again Doc." Dale told Hershel, who was sat at the end of the bed, looking under the sheet to check on Aurora's state.  
He pulled away, "You're about half way dilated from what Patrica's book says. I must warn you young lady, I have only ever delivered cattle."  
Aurora, red faced, gave him a nervous grin when Lori came back with a wet rag for her head, "This is the first time for me too."  
"Don't worry, you'll forget almost all of it." Lori reassured.  
"I just want to survive to remember anything." Aurora huffed as another contraction took her.  
They all went quiet for moment knowing she was in danger of dying but at least they had Hershel.

Dale slipped the watch from his wrist, "You need to look after this." He handed it to Hershel, "I'm going to find Daryl." He told Aurora and she smiled through the pain at him.  
Hershel placed it on the bed, next to Aurora's foot, "Tell me when the next one comes."  
"Won't you be able to tell?" Aurora gave a hollow laugh as Lori squeezed her hand.

\/

When Daryl saw the old man rushing towards him, while he stringing up the two squirrels he'd found, he sighed.  
"Daryl! Daryl there you are!" He shouted as he ran down the hill and stopped in front of Daryl and paused to catch his breath.  
"Hurry up, which idiot did something stupid? I only came back for my bag, ah'm going further out, try and get some venison." Daryl grumbled as he finished stringing up the squirrels.  
"The baby's coming!" Dale burst out as he tried to calm his breathing from running.  
Daryl and gave him a questioning look, "What? For how long?" He snapped.  
Dale looked at his wrist, looking for his watch, shaking his head when it wasn't there, "About two and half hours ago."  
Daryl barged past Dale, leaving the older man spinning and ran to their tent. He snatched the bag of baby things that he'd looted and sprinted into the house. He burst into the room where Carl had been treated, knowing that to be the spare one and paused when he saw Aurora lay on the bed, red faced and in pain, Lori holding her hand and beckoning him over and Hershel telling to come him.

He stopped. It was like he'd had the breath knocked from him, he couldn't do this. He couldn't be here. He could see Hershel's lips moving but heard nothing until Hershel stood up and seized Daryl by the arm. He felt like he'd been slapped and suddenly he could hear and feel everything.  
Aurora lay there, her head had a smudge of blood on it, her legs were bent up at the knee and open but covered by a blanket from upstairs.  
"Daryl? Daryl, you come here she needs you." Lori motioned him forwards and he felt his legs moving on their own and the bag fall from his shoulder. He dropped down next to the bed and felt Lori begin to wash his hands with warm water. He didn't question it.  
"Daryl, it's okay, you don't have to be here." Aurora huffed under the strain of the pain.  
"No I want too." Weird. He knew that he'd said it. It was his voice but he didn't remember giving his mouth the authority to say those words. Too comfort her so readily, his own reaction scared him.  
"Lori," Aurora mumbled, "You should go check on Beth, I'm sure she's done with her dinner now."  
Lori gave them both a curious look, "If you're sure sweetheart."

\/

It was about an hour later that Daryl felt he had the swing of this labour thing, no matter how uncomfortable he still felt. Hershel had told him that he felt that it wouldn't be too much longer because of the time between her contractions but he couldn't be sure without technology.  
They heard shouting upstairs, Beth and Maggie screaming at each other and when Hershel rose, Aurora interrupted with a scream of her own and he sat back down straight away.  
"Do you feel like you need to push?" He asked, wild eyebrows narrowed in a scowl.  
She shook her head rapidly but tried to push anyway.  
"Don't push until you feel you need too, you could stress the baby." Hershel scolded and Aurora growled at him, "Are you gonna fucking stop me?"

Thirty minutes later Baby Dixon came into the world with a howl. That's the only way that Daryl could describe it. Aurora's head flopped back onto the pillow, as Hershel rushed to check over her vitals and Daryl could feel his throat burning as his heart tried to escape.  
Aurora rolled her head to the side and hissed weakly, "Check the baby, the baby. My baby."  
Daryl gnawed the side of his thumb as Hershel moved away from the young woman and gently took the screaming baby and started to check it over.  
Moving to the side of the bed he gently put one of his hands under the side of her face and watched her breath slowly. The baby was still screaming and Daryl could hear Hershel cooing over the child. They were sure how long they remained like that but under Hershel's instruction Daryl helped Aurora sit up against a pile of pillows as the baby was brought back over to them.  
"I think congratulations are in order, you both have a healthy baby boy." Hershel gave them a sincere smile and went to place the squirming boy in Daryl's arms but he jumped back hands up as in surrender, stuttering excuses.  
"Daryl hold your son." Aurora mumbled and rubbed her eye, she was exhausted and emotional, she didn't want to be dealing with insecurities right now.  
Daryl let the boy be handed to him and sat incredibly straight, his arms enveloping the bundle. The smell was incredible, if tinted with iron from the blood, and the heat that came from him was astounding. He'd tried to avoiding holding his son, for fear of harming him but now he wasn't sure if he could ever let him go.  
"Wha -what shall we call him?" Daryl mumbled, afraid to speak too loudly as he passed the baby to Aurora, minding his head.  
"Jack." Aurora breathed as she took in the experience of holding her child, "I've always liked Jack." Daryl gave a grunt that Aurora took as approval and gently kissed the baby's head.

/\

Honestly how did they expect her to cope? A new born baby would be bad enough before the world went to shit but now? No. How could she do this? Her mother had been no role model, Shane had basically brought her up but not he'd twisted into someone she couldn't even recognise. Aurora gently bounced Jack in her arms when he started to scrunch his face up and bring his arms up and down like he was getting ready to unleash hell. No, please don't cry. He calmed and opened his eyes begrudgingly, they were still quite dark, nothing like either of his parent's eyes but Carl had been the same when he was born. Aurora leaned back on the bed headboard as she and her new child stared at each other and for a moment she wondered if Jack knew that she couldn't help him, that she had no idea what she was doing, if he knew she wasn't worthy of him and already resented her.

Aurora gently brushed her fingers across his head and leaned down to kiss his forehead, he squirmed but didn't cry. God she hoped that they never had to leave this farm. She could just about defend herself from one walker and was fast enough to run from any more than that but with a baby? An alert to all those around her that it was snack time? She couldn't keep her baby safe and that hurt more than the childbirth.  
"Jack." She cooed and his eyes fluttered between scowling and shut, he certainly had Daryl's scowl down already, "I'm going to look after you, I promise. Mummy will make sure that you're always with someone strong."  
Even sat upstairs in the bed with her newborn son, aching beyond compare, she could hear the residents of the farm celebrating, patting Daryl on the back and she could his awkward stuttered responses. Hershel telling everyone that she'd need some time to rest and get used to baby even though Sophia, Carl and even Beth had asked if they could come and visit. Aurora wish they'd visit, come and take the child from her arms so that Jack could find someone worthy of protecting him. She shook her head, strands of her sweat soaked hair fell down around her face and as she gently lay Jack on the bed next to her and pushed herself down the bed so that she could lie next to him and watch him as he held onto her index finger.

She sobbed. Everything came out and she was too exhausted to cover her eyes.

The door creeped open and she heard Rick before he stepped into the room, "I'm not trying to impose on your bonding time, I just wanted to see Little Walsh's, littler Walsh."  
Usually she would have laughed, but she didn't have the strength, "It's Dixon, on both counts."  
He stepped into the room and got to see her properly, his small fell and he headed around the side of the bed, "Hey, hey, shh. I didn't mean to upset you." He mumbled and perched on the edge of her bed sat behind were she lay and gently started to rub her back.  
"It's not you." She whispered, fearing going any louder may break her voice into whimpering, "Maybe it would have been better if I had just done what meant to when I went out into those woods. If I wasn't so scared of pulling the trigger then -"  
"Don't you even think like that." Rick interrupted her as he continued to gently rub her back, "look at your beautiful baby boy."  
"Exactly! Rick look at him I'm never going to be enough for him in this world." She tried to pull herself together, gently rubbing Jacks hand as he yawned.  
The bedroom door opened again and Shane appeared, his cast a bored look over the situation, "You know she's right Rick."

"How long have you been there?" Rick asked his former friend, they'd only been back a few hours and he hadn't had chance to tell Aurora what had transpired when he and Shan had taken Randal.

"Long enough to see her realise that this," his ran a large hand over his face and then gestured to Jack, "Is a stupid idea."  
Aurora sat up beside Rick on the bed and picked Jack up to hold him in her arms, ignoring this squirming at being moved from his comfy position, "Get out Shane." She snapped, he'd hit her after finding out she was pregnant and decided that he would be allowed back in her presence again? Hell no. Shane at least had the decently to look ashamed put he didn't stand down, "No."

Rick tried to calm the situation, "Hershel doesn't want you in his house anymore Shane, you can't ignore his wishes."  
Shane stuck his hands on his hips, Aurora knew this as his self-righteous stance, "I came up here to see if my sister had died giving birth to that thing, I'm sure even he would understand that."  
Aurora took in a deep breath, inhaling deeply and trying to imagine the stress leaving her body. It didn't work. "Jack go to your Uncle Rick." She whispered gently as she passed the baby over to the confused but willing law man. Rick looked instantly smitten, the way he had when Carl was born, the man just loved babies.  
Aurora clambered over the bed, ignoring her violent aches and stalked over until she was stood I front of Shane, he'd never really been that much taller than her so she didn't have to incline her head much to see eye to eye. She gave him a sweet smile and for a moment he believed all was forgiven until her fist landed in his cheek bone, he stumbled back in surprise and she took the change to smack his ear on the opposite side disorientating him and kicked his knee, dragging the blow down the length of his shin.

The sound of him clattering to the floor brought unwanted attention from downstairs, she knew someone would be up in a moment, that Rick was going to try to break it up no matter what Shane had done and that she didn't have much time before Shane got up on his own steam. She knelt down over him so that one of her knees pushed down into his chest until she heard him groan and pinched his face with her hand as she leant forward on the other one. She knew she had an audience now, she could practically hear Daryl and Hershel's anger and Lori's confusing at finding her crouched over her dazed brother and Rick holding the crying newborn. Aurora glared at her brother as his world came back into focus, disorientating people by boxing their ears was what he had taught her.

"If you ever come near my child again I will set you on fire. I will pull your teeth out one by one and then make you swallow them. I'll cut you so lightly that you can't die from blood loss before the walkers catch up with you. In fact so many ideas are springing into my head I want to make sure I that give them all proper consideration, maybe I should have written horror." She pushed her knee further into his chest when he moved as though he was going to push her off of him, "this is not a threat Shane, this is a promise."

She delivered a swift kick, a low and unnecessary blow she knew that but she felt better for it all the same and she quickly jumped away out of his reach and onto the bed, next to Rick who bounced the sobbing baby gently in his arms. Daryl stalked into the room as Shane clamber into his feet and rushed out of the house, sending Lori a look as he did so.  
"So this is where you 've been hidin'?" Daryl asked.  
Aurora tried to stop shaking, adrenaline getting the best of her, "I haven't been hiding." She answered confused. Lori rushed in and perched next to the young woman, she put and arm around Aurora and gently rubbed her arms to comfort her. Daryl's expression softened slightly, "Not you." He turned his attention onto the cop holding his baby, "You. Why did you bring that kid back here?"  
Daryl wanted nothing more than to rip his baby away from Rick, but he knew he was too angry and Ricks ever-calm presence was better for now.  
"He's back here?" Aurora rounded on him accusingly before jumping up and taking Jack from his arms, who wailed as though he knew what was happening around him. Lori gently took the baby from Aurora and promised to feed him some formula downstairs while Aurora got to rest.  
Rick shook his head, "We had a complication, I didn't want to worry you."  
"Well I'm worried now!" Aurora hissed and Daryl came beside her and slipped an arm around her waist to calm her.  
"She has a right to be worried, I had a chat with him this morning." Daryl rumbled and Aurora cast a glance down at his scratched and bloodied knuckles. He gave her a glance as though he was trying to decide whether he should tell her something. He decided to be honest, has he always had been with her, "He admitted to a violent murder of two girls and their father. They're heavily armed."  
Aurora whimpered, she suddenly _needed_ to be downstairs with Jack so she knew that he was safe with her. 

"So why is he still here?" Aurora hissed.  
Rick looked sheepish, "At sunset we're going to execute him. He knows the location of the farm, about Maggie. He tried to convince Carl to let him go this morning. We can't risk letting him go again."  
Daryl cast a look at Aurora as she nodded, seemingly agreeing with the decision. He knew that she would speak out again Rick if she felt she had too but this woman had changed so much since he'd first met her when all she would do for the group was wash clothes in the quarry and babysit. She'd lost that innocent spark about her and Daryl knew that he should guilt at its passing but it had been replaced with so much more. She had a fire about her that was matched only by the kindness that she'd managed to cling onto. So not caring that Rick was still in the room, Daryl gently kissed her temple and brushed her still damp hair out of her face.

Rick coughed awkwardly before slipping past them and out of the room. Daryl gently rocked him and Aurora on their feet and they embraced.  
"You can be quite threatening when you want too." He murmured in her ear.  
"You taught me well." She let him rock them and tried not to fall asleep against him.  
"You lie down, I'll bring Jack up when we talk about Randel." He walked her backwards until they fell backwards onto the bed and she giggled loudly.  
"Just so you know, until we find something to stop more babies, we're not having sex again." Aurora laughed as they lay together.  
Daryl smirked, "I already stole Glenn's condoms."  
Downstairs, Jack cooed at the sound of his mother's loud laugh. 


End file.
